Stephanie White has voiced concerns over her star guard Caitlin Clark being drawn into league-wide disputes that extend far beyond her, criticized how the Indiana Fever star has been positioned in debates over WNBA salaries.
The head coach also went after the WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert‘s responses, emphasizing that the 23-year-old player is being treated unfairly due to her influence and star power.
The controversy began last week when the Minnesota Lynx forward, Napheesa Collier, publicly questioned Engelbert about the WNBA’s compensation structure as Collier specifically mentioned Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
Asking how the league planned to address the relatively low earnings for top players during their first four seasons, Collier claimed Engelbert’s response was, “Caitlin should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
The commissioner later denied making disparaging remarks, asserting Clark’s positive impact on the league but it has kicked up quite the storm as two of the WNBA’s most prominent names go head-to-head.
“Obviously, I did not make those comments,” Engelbert said. “Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game, she’s brought in tens of millions of new fans.
“I think what Indiana just did was amazing with all the injuries they had, and everything they faced this year and bringing that to a Game 5 and overtime.
“There’s a lot of inaccuracies reported out there, and I certainly did not say that.”
Stephanie White steps into the Engelbert-Collier saga
During a recent appearance on Query & Company on 107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis, White directly addressed the situation as she emphasized the burden placed on Clark, calling it unfair that a young player is caught in the crossfire of public debates.
At the same time, the Fever HC praised her guard’s own maturity and perspective despite her age, noting that very few athletes have navigated such a high-profile environment so early in their careers.
“I hate it all for Caitlin,” White said. “You know, I feel like she’s a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game who is a pawn in a lot of other people’s games, and a lot of other people’s narratives – and I hate that for her.
“She is so mature for her age. I mean, think back to when we were 23 years old. Holy cow… But she’s so mature.
“She has people in her corner and people that can help her. She gets it. She understands the big picture.
“No one outside of a Tiger Woods, a Serena Williams, you can probably name just maybe a handful more of athletes who have been the game changers and who have experienced what Caitlin Clark is experiencing.
“No one can really relate to what she’s going through.”
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