It’s been anything but smooth for Cathy Engelbert and the league office this past week. The storm started when Napheesa Collier relayed a conversation she had with the WNBA commissioner during her exit interview in Minneapolis. “Worst leadership in the world.” That’s how she described the W and their officials. Now, with the October 31st deadline for a new CBA creeping closer and no agreement in sight, the league finds itself staring at the possibility of a lockout. And of course, in any conversation about the future of the league, Caitlin Clark’s name was always bound to come up.

During her exit interview, Napheesa Collier shared a piece of her conversation with Cathy Engelbert, and it wasn’t pretty.“I also asked [Engelbert] how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin [Clark], Angel [Reese], and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,'” Collier said.

Bringing Caitlin Clark into the conversation–and firing up her huge fan base–was always going to make Collier’s criticism of Engelbert blow up even more. And that’s exactly what happened. With Clark now caught in the middle, her coach Stephanie White stepped in with some advice on how she should handle it.

On 93.5 & 107.5 The Fan’s Query & Company show, coach White spoke about how Caitlin should deal with the situation. “I think the biggest thing is we can be there for her. We can offer perspective and do what we can to help deflect and navigate. But at the same time, it’s a life that she has to lead. And I think she does it admirably … with so much grace and humility.”

Caitlin was always going to be part of this conversation. From drawing an all-time record of over 54 million unique viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, and NBA TV, to helping the league sell out a record 154 games–an eye-popping 242% increase from the 45 sellouts in 2023–her impact on the WNBA has been undeniable. With the ongoing power struggle, as players push for a better revenue model and higher officiating standards, Caitlin was bound to be used as a “pawn,” as Stephanie White put it in the same interview.

While Clark might prefer not to get pulled into all this, it would be wrong to say she hasn’t been involved. We’ve already seen it when she wore the “Pay us what you owe us” t-shirts in protest. For Caitlin Clark, the focus is clear: guiding the game in the right direction under a new CBA. It’s not just about better pay–it’s about player safety, improved facilities, and building a stronger league for the long term.

And she didn’t hold back, sharing a few thoughts on the current situation as well.

Caitlin Clark Supports Collier’s WNBA Criticism

The WNBA is facing some big challenges right now. Players are taking home only about 10% of the league’s Basketball Related Income (BRI), while NBA players get nearly half. Officiating across the league has also been a major issue this season, and Caitlin Clark herself has felt the impact firsthand.

Naturally, Clark was quick to back Collier up, saying, “I have a great deal of respect for Phee, and I think she has voiced many very valid points”, Clark said during her exit interview on Thursday. “I think people need to understand: we need excellent leadership at this time at all levels. This is by far the most important moment in the league’s history. The league has existed for over 25 years, and right now we must seize this moment.”

Part of leadership is taking accountability, but Engelbert brushed off Collier’s complaints about officiating, saying only losers complain. That’s not exactly the approach you’d expect from a commissioner. She did, however, insist that much of what Collier said was “inaccurate” and announced plans to create a new multi-stakeholder task force to review WNBA officiating.

We still don’t know what the WNBA’s future holds in the coming months. A lockout could still happen, but one thing is clear: the current situation can’t continue. A resolution needs to be reached quickly, or it could seriously hurt the league and the product on the court.