Clark Says WNBA Commissioner Has not Contacted Her Following Report on Private Conversation
INDIANAPOLIS – WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark revealed Thursday that Commissioner Engelbert has not contacted her since details of a private conversation between the two became public. Clark stated she has “the utmost respect” for Engelbert but expressed being ”disheartened” by the characterization of their discussion.
The reports surfaced following a story detailing Clark’s concerns about officiating and the overall state of the league. Clark confirmed she had not previously discussed the matter with Engelbert nor heard from her since the reports emerged.
The situation unfolded as Clark’s Indiana Fever completed their end-of-season media availability, alongside teammates who voiced broader concerns about the league’s direction. With a new collective bargaining agreement still to be negotiated, issues surrounding officiating and a rise in player injuries are central to the conversation.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham delivered a notably blunt assessment, stating, “I’m tired of our league, they need to step up and be better.” Cunningham expressed concern about a potential lockout in the spring and indicated that NBA players have also voiced their dissatisfaction. “Our leadership from top to bottom needs to be held accountable.I think that there are a lot of people in the position of power in the WNBA, who they might be realy great buisness people, but they don’t know [expletive] about basketball and that’s got to change.”
Cunningham further described the current state of play as overly physical, saying, “The game’s not fun to watch because everyone’s just trying to kill each other because that’s how you’re going to survive or otherwise you get injured.”
The Fever experienced a meaningful number of injuries this season, with Clark and three other players suffering season-ending ailments. Despite these setbacks, the team reached the playoffs for the first time in a decade, pushing the second-seeded Las Vegas Aces to a fifth game and then into overtime. During that final game, center Aliyah Boston fouled out, and guard Kelsey Mitchell was hospitalized due to severe cramps that left her unable to feel her legs or feet.
Mitchell stated she is recovering but needs significant rest, adding, “I probably should take some time to kind of reset because I lost a lot of fluid. I just kind of felt scared as my legs were so numb and so paralyzed, so to speak, that I couldn’t feel my feet.”
Fever executives have identified re-signing Mitchell, the team’s leading scorer, as a top priority in the offseason.
Though, the immediate focus remains on addressing the growing concerns within the league and navigating upcoming labour negotiations.As Clark stated, “We are in the biggest moment in WNBA history. There’s no denying that. Everybody knows that,everybody that’s in a place of power has a true responsibility,even myself,we have a responsibility to make sure this game is in a great place going forward with the CBA and,you know,caring for players and building this league to make sure its in a great spot for many years to come.”
