When Sophie Cunningham came across Napheesa Collier’s February conversation with Cathy Engelbert, she couldn’t hold herself back. She immediately responded to the quote, firing back at Engelbert: “People only know Cathy because of C…. She’s the most delusional leader our league has seen,” she penned under a post. But while Sophie might be Caitlin’s so-called “guardian angel” on the court, even she hasn’t been able to shield CC from the harsh truth of the W that Stephanie White highlighted today!

Just three days after Indy’s season came crashing to an end in the Semis, the HC wasted no time stepping up for her star. Appearing on the popular sports radio show Query & Company, she delivered some strong words of support for her injured superstar, Caitlin Clark, whose name had already been caught in the crossfire of the W’s brewing CBA battle with the players’ association.

“Yeah. I mean… I hate it all for Caitlin. Um, you know, I feel like, um, you know, she’s a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game, um, who is a pawn in a lot of other people’s games and a lot of other people’s narratives. And I hate that for her,” she shared. “We’re coming into a time in the WNBA where we’re kind of part of the growing pains of, of, of becoming quote-unquote mainstream professional sport is some of this stuff. Um, you know, I, I do. Um, think that we are at a pivotal moment in terms of the league’s history.”

And yes, we get it, coach. The Indiana Fever sensation has been in the middle of controversies all year long. But this time, it looks like she’s being used to serve a purpose. None can actually deny the kind of impact she’s brought to the league. Just consider—in one month, she was able to bring 94% of people back to the arenas.

So one thing is clear: she’s got impact, and people listen and debate when she’s involved. This is why even Olden Polynice suggested WNBA players use CC’s impact properly to negotiate with the league. “You got to you got to milk that. You got to use that to your advantage. People clowned and talked about, ‘Well, they had the Jordan rules and then the league changed.’ Yeah, because they knew what was going on. We need to protect our cash cow.”

And it seems Napheesa Collier listened to him. After getting injured in Game 4 of the semis against Mercury, which Cheryl saw as a missed officiating call and got ejected, suspended for a game, and even paid $15,000 as a fine, Collier burst in frustration.

During the September 30 exit interview, she started firing back at Cathy and even unveiled a conversation she had with Cathy earlier this year around CC. “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,’” Phee said.

And ever since, Clark’s been the biggest story in sports. So, as White shared, it can be a move to weaponize the league’s biggest star to ignite a gigantic fan base.

However, after half of the league went against her, with some even asking for her rejection, Cathy said: “I have been in touch with Napheesa, we’ve exchanged texts, we’re talking next week, so I think obviously a lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say, and I will tell you I highly respect the players.”

She addressed the criticism ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 Finals. “You know, I’m a human too. I have a family. I have two kids who are devastated by these comments, and so all I’ll say is just, you know, it’s obviously been a tough week, and I just think there’s a lot of inaccuracy out there.”

However, as White further stressed, Clark might be just twenty-three, but she is also very mature. “She is so mature for her age. I mean, Jake, think back to when we were 23 years old. Holy cow. But she’s so mature. She has people in her corner and people that can help her,” White said. “She gets it. She understands the big picture.”

And as for how White helps her? “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.”

But while HC addressed the issues she had with CC being used, she didn’t forget to give her take on the ongoing controversies.

What does Indy’s HC have to say about the WNBA commissioner?

Just like many others across the league, White, too, is on the other side of the court. She feels the leadership has to take accountability for their moves. “Part of leadership is taking accountability. Part of leadership is, is owning how we move the needle. Part of leadership is, um, not just recognizing, uh, the people who, who, who are part of this, this league, but empowering and embracing and understanding, uh, what they bring and, you know, your employees are your number one asset,” she shared.

So, while players like Napheesa Collier are the new line of stars, Stephanie White, Becky Hammon, and others have played in the league. They’ve seen it grow over the years, so they’re able to give a broader perspective. For her, though, Cathy’s got to figure out all these issues existing in the league—especially since the fear of a lockout from October 31 looms over the W. But, we finally got some silver lining as the commish finally agreed to “fix things.” “I’ve always been someone who believes in the fact that we have, if there’s things we need to fix, we’re going to fix them,” Engelbert shared. But the question now is: Will it be fixed?