CAITLIN CLARK'S DIG AT WNBA COMMISSIONER SETS OFF FIERY STEPHEN A. SMITH RANT
The WNBA has been under some serious fire over the last handful of days following Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier’s statement about the serious flaws with the league, particularly directed at WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“We have the best players in the world,” Collier said in a four-minute statement. “We have the best fans in the world. But right now we have the worst leadership in the world.”
Collier also highlighted Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark in her statement revealing that Engelbert said Clark should “be grateful” for that she makes financially off the court, because the WNBA gives her a platform to do so and without it, she wouldn’t make anything.
“[Caitlin Clark] should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,” Engelbert said, according to Collier.
Clark elected to have no comment after Collier’s statement went public, but she spoke out about them during her exit interview on Thursday with the Fever saying “she has great respect for Phee,” and “Phee said it all.”
“I think what people need to understand, we need great leadership at this time across all levels,” Clark added. “This is straight-up the most important moment in this league’s history. This league’s been around for 25-plus years and this is a moment we have to capitalize on.”
More WNBA: WNBA Commissioner ‘Likely’ Out After Napheesa Collier, Caitlin Clark Remarks
More WNBA: Caitlin Clark Gets Honest About Her Future With the Fever
On Thursday, after urging Engelbert to resign from her role as WNBA commissioner, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith went on a fiery rant in response to Caitlin Clark’s comments and Engelbert’s handling of the entire situation.
“The person I call the golden goose of the WNBA, Caitlin Clark — you understand who is box office for the WNBA — for her to come out and say, ‘Phee said it all,’ she’s letting you know that Napheesa Collier didn’t lie, she didn’t mince words, and she didn’t mix words on what the collective body of the league is feeling about this commissioner and her leadership,” Smith said.
“I don’t care who it is. If someone calls you out publicly and you’re in a leadership position, you don’t give what I called that weak [explicit] response — that’s what she did. What you did was provide fire to the belief that everything Napheesa Collier said was the absolute truth, nothing but the truth, so help me God. You do that? It’s time for you to go.”
More WNBA: WNBA Commissioner Breaks Silence on Napheesa Collier-Caitlin Clark Controversy
There is now growing optimism around the league that, under the new proposed CBA, Engelbert could be out as commissioner. And it hasn’t just been Collier and Clark voicing their frustrations with the league.
Back-to-back MVP A’ja Wilson, Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and head coaches Becky Hammon, Stephanie White, and Cheryl Reeve have also spoken out, adding to the mounting pressure.
More WNBA: Indiana Fever GM Breaks Silence on Big Offseason Plans
Related Articles
2025-10-03T00:58:37Z
