Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White isn’t too happy with how different personalities in the WNBA are taking advantage of Caitlin Clark‘s popularity with the fans and are using her to further their own agendas.
While White did not mention names, Caitlin’s name is at the center of the back-and-forth between Minnesota Lynx star and WNBA players association vice-president Napheesa Collier and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
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“I hate it all for Caitlin. You know, 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,” White said on the Query & Company on 107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis.
“And I hate that for her,” she stated.
Caitlin refuses to get involved in the squabble between Phee and Cathy
Clark burst into superstardom during an incredible collegiate career at the University of Iowa, where she became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. She was drafted first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Fever and immediately brought unprecedented attention to the WNBA while also winning the Rookie of the Year award and earning All-Star and All-WNBA first team honors.
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Despite her popularity, Clark remains low-key and would rather let her game speak for her. When Collier dropped the bomb on Engelbert, many eagerly awaited her response. She finally addressed the matter during her exit interview, but while she said that Collier had many valid arguments in speech against Engelbert, Caitlin did not go into specifics. She also did not say one bad word against Engelbert or the league.
“She is so mature for her age,” added White. “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 who can help her. She gets it. She understands the big picture.”
The WNBA CBA is set to expire at the end of this month
The big picture here is the WNBA CBA, which will expire at the end of the month and where Collier and Engelbert play big roles on opposite ends. Many are starting to worry about the two sides because they are said to be far from agreeing to a deal, which means there is a real threat of a lockout.
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But on Monday, the WNBA’s big brother, the NBA, through commissioner Adam Silver, expressed confidence that the league and its players will fix their differences and come up with an agreement before the deadline.
“Cathy Engelbert has presided over historic growth in the league, but there’s no question that there’s issues that we need to address with our players, not just economic,” Silver said during a press conference on Monday, via the Associated Press. “There’s relationship issues as well. I’m confident we can fix those over time, and this league can continue to be on the rocket trajectory that it’s on right now.”
Hopefully, Silver is prophetic on this one because time is running out fast. And it would be a pity to see the unparalleled growth that the WNBA has experienced since Caitlin joined the league hit a snag because the two sides can’t reach a deal. As Clark said during her exit interview, the league is in its biggest moment and everybody has to do their part in making sure that it continues to grow.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
