Cathy Engelbert Made 'Weird' Caitlin Clark Remark In Discussing WNBA Rookie Class
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert hasn't had a good month as it pertains to the answers she's giving to televised interview questions about Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
Engelbert caught a lot of criticism for the way she seemed to dodge directly answering a question about racist undertones that the fan rivalry between rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese can sometimes assume on social media during a September 9 appearance on CNBC's 'Power Lunch' program.
This response was lamented by many WNBA players (including New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart) and just about everybody on social media who saw the interview.
And Engelbert may be finding herself under more fire Monday morning after strange comments she made about Clark and the WNBA's rookie class during an interview for a 60 Minutes segment that aired Sunday.
When Engelbert was asked to describe the 'Clark phenomenon' by host Jon Wertheim, she said, "[Clark is] clearly an unbelievable player, came in with an unbelievable following, has brought a lot of new fans to the league. If you look at our historic season around-- our attendance, our viewership, Caitlin, Angel too, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink. This class of rookies, we will be talking about them a generation from now."
Wertheim then said, "I notice when you're asked about Caitlin a lot, you bring up other rookies as well."
"No league's ever about one player," Engelbert responded. "That player could get hurt or whatever. So I think it's just to give recognition that in sports, people watch for compelling content and rivalries. And you can't do that alone as one person."
Cathy Engelbert on 60 minutes talks about the growth of the league and explains why she redirects questions about Caitlin to other players as well. pic.twitter.com/Ke5u5qYMwd
— cancun correlation (@nosyone4) September 30, 2024
This response — particularly Engelbert mentioning the obvious possibility of Clark getting hurt — has fans confounded on social media.
"Kind of a weird response. She can't give Clark her credit, says a player could get hurt...," one X user noted.
"Your cash cow might get hurt is not what a league commish. should say out loud to the public as a reason. It should be an internal discussion. IMO, W should only put CC, AB & Phee in front of MSM," added another.
Engelbert's apparent reluctance to embrace Clark's distinct star power will be a fascinating storyline to watch as the Fever sensation's career progresses.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.