As the WNBA approaches the All-Star break, the league continues to catch heat, with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the center of it.
Engelbert has been thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, coming to the forefront last season after a scathing rant by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier. Engelbert aired multiple grievances against Engelbert and the league, while also mentioning what Engelbert allegedly told her about her feelings towards Caitlin Clark's stardom. Engelbert reportedly claimed that Clark should thank the WNBA for giving her a platform to succeed, prompting a firestorm of negative feedback.
Engelbert hasn't escaped the heat, and another incident with Clark and Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas has ramped up the scrutiny even more.
Engelbert was reportedly not initially planning to suspend Alyssa Thomas for her hit on Clark
The refereeing (or lack thereof) has been one of the biggest issues plaguing Engelbert recently, and she has yet to fully address it. Clark and Collier aren't the only ones who have raised concerns over some questionable or no-calls, and after Thomas put her fist on Clark's throat during a June 24 game and no call was made, Engelbert is being dragged through the mud yet again.
Cathy Engelbert was not planning to suspend Alyssa Thomas for incident involving Caitlin Clark until Adam Silver implored her to do so, per @TomFriendWriter, @SBJ.
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) July 15, 2026
According to Sports Business Journal's Tom Friend, Engelbert was not initially planning to suspend Thomas for her hit on Clark until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver intervened and asked her to do so. After no call was made during the game, the league reviewed the call the next day, upgrading it to a Flagrant II, and handing down a one-game suspension and a $1,000 fine. The one-game suspension had already prompted people to question Engelbert's decision-making, and this new information won't help. According to a WNBA spokesperson, Engelbert called the allegations "absolutely false."
It is another bad look for Engelbert, whose career as WNBA Commissioner was already hanging by a thread. Apart from her overseeing a league-altering collective bargaining agreement in early March, she can't seem to get out of her own way, which might prompt Silver to act. When Silver was asked on Tuesday about Engelbert's future, he appeared to back her fully, stating that the league has made "tremendous progress" under her leadership, but he closed by saying they are having ongoing discussions about what the future will look like.
Engelbert is definitely on thin ice, and it will be interesting to see if this is her last season in charge of the league. We are not advocating that anyone be fired or lose their job, but the evidence against Engelbert is mounting, and there is also the major issue of player safety. Clark is seemingly targeted regularly, but other players have experienced similar issues. At some point, it HAS to be addressed, and Engelbert ducking the issue isn't helping. Player safety is paramount, and Engelbert and the league are falling woefully short.
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