In any type of public feud, there is bound to be a litany of new details emerging from investigative reports. That’s very much the case when the feud involves major organizations. That’s certainly the case for the WNBA, with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert going toe-to-toe in the media space against star player Napheesa Collier.
Collier took a flamethrower to Engelbert in her end-of-season press conference, calling out the Commissioner’s “lack of accountability” and revealing some unsavory comments Engelbert made in a private conversation. Engelbert has come out to deny said comments, angering Collier even further and forcing the player to cancel their scheduled meeting, which was supposed to help bury the hatcher.
As all of this has unfolded, WNBA players have wasted no time picking their side: they are all with Collier, mainly because they feel the exact same way she does. It’s clear that Engelbert’s leadership is a contentious topic for players in the league. As the feud amplifies, so does the investigative reporting.
WNBA players didn’t like how Cathy Engelbert handled activism during 2020 COVID season
On Thursday, ESPN’s Katie Barnes published an in-depth report which traced players’ anger towards Engelbert all the way back to 2020 during the COVID season, when players felt the league didn’t fully back them in their final, collective decision to postpone games during turbulent social times.
- “Conversations from Cathy and leadership were kind of a little bit more skewed towards playing, and business, and numbers. And I just really did not feel like that was the time and place to be discussing those types of matters.” – Nneka Ogwumike
- “We had to push her on all the activism we did in the bubble. The sentiment from players was very much, ‘No, we’re doing this. I don’t care if you like it or not.” – Layshia Clarendon
Cathy Engelbert creating Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese rivalry didn’t sit well with WNBA players
Then came the introduction of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to the WNBA scene. What should have been a celebration of two star college basketball players joining an already increasingly talented crop of players was instead painted as the rebirth of a fierce rivalry by Engelbert and the league. That didn’t sit well with WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson, who condemned Engelbert’s remarks.
“This is not about rivalries or iconic personalities fueling a business model. This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It demands immediate action, and frankly, should have been addressed long ago.“
Several other instances bothered players where it felt like the Commissioner was taking credit for the success the league was having. Clearly, there is a long, long way to go before the relationship can be repaired, if at all.
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