WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert finds herself in a difficult position after Minnesota Lynx superstar forward Napheesa Collier blasted her leadership in a ferocious statement on Tuesday.
Collier accused the WNBA and Engelbert of “negligence” in their work of leading the league and specifically accused Engelbert of saying some dismissive things about Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark and complaints about WNBA officiating.
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Engelbert responded with a vague statement that didn’t address many of Collier’s comments.
How did Caitlin Clark respond to alleged WNBA commissioner dig?
The Lynx star’s comments drew widespread praise throughout the WNBA, including support from Las Vegas Aces superstar center A’ja Wilson. The glowing response to Collier’s condemnation put Engelbert squarely in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Is she long for her job in running the WNBA?
Well, a report from Sports Business Journal‘s Tom Friend suggests that Engelbert might soon be leaving her post. Multiple sources told Friend that Engelbert would likely exit her role of commissioner after the WNBA CBA negotiations end “due to pressure inside NBA and WNBA circles.”
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“She hasn’t connected; she’s not a relationship builder, which you have to be in that job with the teams, with the players,” a source for the story reportedly told Friend about Engelbert. “I think she’s a wicked smart business person, and the success she gets a lot of credit for. But a commissioner has to have a personality element that can touch every constituent that they have. I think she’s just lacking in it.
“You’re where you are now, you have got to get through this labor negotiation. After that, it wouldn’t surprise me if she did a victory lap and rode off back into the corporate world somewhere.”
It’s very possible Engelbert may exit after the CBA negotiations end, which have been a contentious process that may well lead to a WNBA lockout. There’s no clear horizon for when that process will meet its conclusion, and Collier’s fiery comments will further exacerbate frustration from the players’ side.
However, a WNBA told SBJ that the comments about Engelbert were “categorically false.” Engelbert did not comment on Friend’s story.
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We’ll see what happens with Engelbert, who is getting a lot of bad press right now for her leadership and could credibly leave her job once the CBA process is over.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Is WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert resigning? What we know
