Cathy Engelbert weighs in on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese adjusting to WNBA's physicality in rookie year

Modified Apr 25, 2025 01:32 GMT

"Angel Reese was very physical for her" - Cathy Engelbert weighs in on Caitlin Clark getting roughed up by star players despite reviving WNBA (Image credit: Imagn)

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert opened up on the physical challenges Caitlin Clark faced in her rookie season. Following a terrific college career, the Indiana Fever star was under the spotlight for some of the plays she starred in.

Engelbert joined "The David Rubenstein Show" on Thursday to discuss several topics, including the roughness Clark was subjected to by some of her peers during her first season.

The WNBA commissioner explained that it was part of the process, noting Caitlin Clark got the hang of the league and its challenges, but fans had a more difficult time doing it.

"I think that narrative became the narrative," Engelbert said (3:22 onwards). "We have a really exciting, fast-paced, physical game. The physicality, I think, surprised a lot of the new fans that came in.

"I think it was very physical at first for a lot of new eyes on the game. I think there were, unfortunately, some inappropriate plays that happened. Over the course of the whole season, I think Caitlin really adjusted well. So did Angel, because Angel, it was very physical for her too. I think all of our rookies adjusted to the physicality of the game and I think our fans didn't adjust as quickly."

Caitlin Clark's fans alleged that the No. 1 overall pick was "targeted" by her peers, more so after Chennedy Carter shoved her in the back and DiJonai Carrington was more intense when playing against the Fever guard.

During the offseason, Clark bulked up and looks ready to face off against strong opponents while her Indiana Fever start the quest for the championship.

Stephanie White made physicality a focal point of her work with Caitlin Clark

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White explained last week that she wanted to work on Caitlin Clark's physicality, given the differences between college and professional players.

During an interview with "Ros Gold-Onwude" on April 16's episode of the "Good Follow" show, White said:

"Yeah, I mean, certainly getting stronger is one. You know, the level of physicality in the W is totally different. That's the way that teams have to try to keep her off balance. Keeping a low center of gravity, you know, there are times when she [Clark] plays a little bit upright, making sure core strength."

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Clark and Co. are expected to make some noise in the 2025 season after a busy offseason.

About the author

Orlando Silva joined the Sportskeeda team in 2024 as a member of the NBA roster as an analyst. After completing his bachelor's in English studies in 2016, he decided to pursue a career in sports journalism. Being an avid fan of the NBA, Orlando has covered the league for five years now, with a big focus on trending stories, the latest rumors and reports.
He's expanded his area of expertise to the NFL, one of his biggest passion since discovering the competition in 2007.

Orlando is a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs, and his favorite player of all time is Tim Duncan. Of course, Greg Popovich is his favorite coach of all time and Victor Wembanyama is already his favorite player in the league. In the NFL, he supports the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

Besides being a writer, Orlando is also an entrepreneur while pursuing a music production career.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash