WNBA players and union speak out against commissioner who failed to condemn racism among fans

WNBA players and their union have spoken out against recent comments by commissioner Cathy Engelbert a few telecast that failed to condemn racist and harsh criticism from fans of the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Engelbert appeared on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Monday and was asked by host Tyler Mathisen about what he called a “darker” tone being adopted by fans on social media, which weaves problems with race and sometimes sexuality into the discussion.

“How do you try to stay ahead of it, or try to suppress it, or act as a league when two of your most visible players are involved — not personally, it seems, but their fan bases are involved — in speaking about each other in a very unkind way?” Mathisen asked.

Engelbert responded by saying, “There’s no apathy anymore. Everybody cares. It’s kind of that Bird-Magic moment, if you remember from 1979, when these two freshmen came from the big college rivalry, one white, one black. And so we have this moment with these two.”

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“But one thing I know about sports is that you need competition. That’s what makes people watch. They want to watch important matches between rivals. They don’t want everyone to be nice to each other.”

WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson a press release was issued on Tuesday disagreeing with Engelbert’s comments.

“Here is the answer the Commissioner should give to the very clear question about racism, misogyny and harassment experienced by Players: There is absolutely no place in sport – or in life – for the disgusting hatred, racist language, homophobic comments and misogynistic attacks that our players encounter on social media,” the statement read.

The union’s statement said fans should “support the game, not criticize the people who made it.”

Engelbert clarified her initial comments on social media late Tuesday night, writing: “To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any form in the WNBA or anywhere else.”

Clark and Reese brought latest attention to the WNBA this season, with attendance and viewership skyrocketing. The pair had been rivals on the court since college, when LSU beat Iowa within the 2023 national championship game.

Union Vice President Breanna Stewart was disenchanted with Engelbert’s initial comments.

“Honestly, I saw the interview and I talked to Terri today in the WNBPA,” Stewart said after the win over the Dallas Wings. “I believe it’s slightly disappointing since the fans have really overvalued, especially with Caitlin and Angel coming into the league, but additionally form of taking the racial aspect to one other level.

“And, you know, there’s no place for that in our sport. I think that’s really what it’s about. We want our sport to be inclusive in terms of race, gender, and really a place where people can be themselves. So obviously we’d like Cathy to use her platform in a different way and make it a little better, just telling the fans that enough is enough.”