Last week has been a rollercoaster ride for the WNBA. But rather than going up, that ride keeps on spiralling downwards into a rabbit hole. It all started in Game 3 between Phoenix and Minnesota, when Alyssa Thomas and Napheesa Collier clashed in an unfortunate way. It resulted in a series of events, which ultimately boiled down to Collier ripping into WNBA leadership of Cathy Engenbert.

In her exit interview, Collier made some serious accusations against Engelbert, claiming she is not at all interested in the betterment of players. Following that, the WNBA commissioner’s response was quick but without any counter-arguments for Collier’s accusations.

In her statement on the official WNBA social handle, Engelbert said, “I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together, we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game.”

She continued, “I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.” 

However, the WNBA fans found her comments bland. Interestingly, fans of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers were in unison to support Napheesa Collier’s statement.

Fans of Clark, Reese, and Bueckers openly support Napheesa Collier’s outcry

A lot of WNBA fans are frustrated with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Many feel like the league cares more about growing the business than looking out for the players. People point to things like inconsistent officiating, limited healthcare, and poor communication when big moments happen – like when star players get injured. Fans think Engelbert has been slow to step in on issues that actually affect the athletes.

This unjust behavior, which Napheesa Collier highlighted, has made fans of the trio lash out at Engelbert. One Caitlin Clark fan even came up with a “what if”, claiming the next Nike merch will feature the line, “If not for Caitlin, I would never know Cathy exists,” with the iconic swoosh logo. While rooted in sarcasm, the fans portray a feeling of betrayal at how their favorite player is mistreated in the league. Supporters say the WNBA cannot thrive if the commissioner does not place player well-being at the center of her agenda.

The sarcasm was also inspired by Clark’s very own enforcer. In her presentation, Collier shared some conversation bits with Cathy Engelbert from February. As per Collier, Engelbert claimed Clark should be grateful that she makes $16m off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything. To this, Sophie Cunningham had responded by saying, “people only know Cathy because of [Clark],” adding that Engelbert is “the most delusional leader our league has seen.”

And yes, many fans feel the same. As another wrote, “My kids watch the WNBA for Phee and Clark. YOU should be grateful to have them. Instead, you seem intent on running your league into the ground.” And it doesn’t help Engelbert’s case that she did not even try to deny Collier’s claims. “So you did say that about Caitlin Clark,” chimed in another fan.

On the other hand, some fans also pointed out that Engelbert’s response feels like corporate jargon. They said, “Corporate speak. Nothing worse. Saw this coming from a mile away.” Well, before joining the WNBA, Engelbert had been with Deloitte for 33 years, including as its first female CEO from 2015 to 2019. So, the corporate speak is probably a habit.

However, this unwillingness to communicate irks fans. Even Collier had pointed this out, claiming she did not get any response from Engelbert following her injury. “Not one call, not one text. Instead, the only outreach has come from her number two, telling my agent that she doesn’t believe physical play contributed to injuries,” Collier said.

“Angel Reese was getting death threats, and no one heard from Cathy. When she finally came out and talked about it, she said, ‘The rivalry was good for the league.’ A player getting death threats was good for the league! But see her here right after Phee’s comments,” another fan wrote and spot on. No wonder Reese expressed her support to Collier by posting “10/10. No notes!” Paige Bueckers also took to Instagram to support Lynx star with a caption, “Queen Phee,” with a photo of them together.

“🚨So Caitlin Clark fans we say Clark is face of the league , Wilson fans say Aja is , Paige bueckers fans say she is and angel Reese fans say she is. I now think Cathy engelbert believes she is the face of the league not them 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. Adam silver pls fire her🚨,” another fan said, and that right there tells you how all sorts of fans are coming together.