Despite growing calls for dialogue, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has remained silent. After the league’s official statement condemning the online harassment of Alyssa Thomas following the flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark on June 24, even members of the US Congress have written a letter to the WNBA and Engelbert urging her to protect Clark and the league’s athletes. However, instead of responding to the situation, the commissioner canceled a scheduled interview with Dan Patrick. Now, analysts Cari Champion and Jemele Hill have even brought Adam Silver into the conversation.

“If Adam Silver is advising her, that’s what I would only assume that he’s advising her. Is he telling her not to? I’m confused,” Champion said on Tuesday’s episode of their Flagrant and Funny podcast.

“I thought a part of this entire WNBA puzzle, one thing that has been clear, is that Adam Silver has not been asked enough questions about the leadership dynamic, or been asked to take some accountability because Cathy Engelbert is somebody he appointed,” her co-host Jemele Hill responded, adding that Engelbert will face constant questions during the upcoming All-Star Weekend.

“I mean, I already thought like her cancelling her on Dan Patrick was weak. And if she does not address this at WNBA All-Star weekend, then I think that’s just an extraordinary amount of incompetence.”

Silver, who is the NBA Commissioner, oversees the WNBA as part of a broader sports and media organization. As Hill said, he hired Cathy Engelbert in 2019 and since then has helped the WNBA navigate some major milestones, including the revolutionary CBA agreement that the league and players signed earlier this year.

So Hill also asked how none of the reporters have asked Silver about what he thinks about the currently unanswered question around the WNBA, because it is “under his purview.”

In fact, Silver has previously spoken about Cathy Engelbert. In March of this year, he responded to questions about Engelbert continuing as the commissioner after the 2026 season. While Silver said he didn’t have that conversation with Engelbert yet, he didn’t shy away from praising the 61-year-old.

“I would always say Cathy’s done a fantastic job since she’s come to the WNBA. Obviously you can see just in the results, but I haven’t had those discussions recently with Cathy, even in terms of her future plans and how long she wants to do this. She had a storied career before she came to the WNBA, with Deloitte, but I want to say the results speak for themselves,” he told reporters as per The Athletic.

With everyone from fans to the media and even the US Congress demanding an explanation from Engelbert, the question is whether she’ll address everyone’s questions when the WNBA All-Stars take to the court on July 25.