WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert denied the anecdote from Minnesota Lynx superstar forward Napheesa Collier that Engelbert insulted Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark’s endorsement deals.
Collier went scorched earth on Engelbert and WNBA leadership during her Tuesday exit interview over alleged “negligence.” She also alleged Engelbert made a dismissive comment about why Clark earned her endorsements, allegedly suggesting that they were only possible because of Clark’s status as a WNBA player.
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After Clark said she hadn’t yet heard from the league commissioner on the comments on Thursday, Engelbert pushed back on Collier’s claim of the Clark diss during a Friday press conference.
“Obviously, I did not make those comments,” the WNBA commissioner said, via Front Office Sports.
Engelbert’s denial isn’t a surprise, but it does squarely pit two of the league’s biggest figures against each other during an incredibly contentious CBA negotiation. Over the Clark statement in particular, one of them isn’t right. Is one of them lying? Did Engelbert misremember what she said? Did Collier misremember what she heard? It’s such an exact anecdote from Collier that it’s hard to think that one of the sides misremembered what was said or heard.
Engelbert’s firm denial only adds to the tension, even if she’s well within her right to rebuff the allegation.
Engelbert’s comments also come after Fever coach Stephanie White defended Clark by saying the star “is a pawn in a lot of other people’s games and a lot of other people’s narratives” during a Friday radio interview. The whole ordeal has spilled out into a giant mess, a big game of “she said/she said” where Clark gets caught in the middle.
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However, Collier will earn the benefit of the doubt since she is not in the position of power that Engelbert is as league commissioner.
What else did Engelbert say?
Engelbert added that she feels there is “a lot of inaccuracy out there” over the reactions to Collier’s comments when asked if she said, per Collier, WNBA players should be thankful for the media rights deal she negotiated.
Rebuffing Collier’s comments as she did, particularly over the Clark allegation, is not going to make this situation go away any time soon. If anything, the two sides will only grow more defiant.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cathy Engelbert denying Caitlin Clark story is fuel to fire
