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WNBA fans are not happy with Cathy Engelbert after her controversial comments about the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry. Some even ridiculed the WNBA commissioner for releasing a statement regarding her remarks about 12 hours too late.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Engelbert acknowledged that her comments on Tuesday's appearance on CNBC's "Power Lunch."
"During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race. To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else," Engelbert tweeted.
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On Tuesday, Cathy Engelbert was asked about the rise in hateful comments towards players on social media, amid the growing rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. She instead compared their rivalry to that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and spoke about the importance of rivalries in sports, saying "social media is different today than in 1979."
Fans are upset with Cathy Engelbert's delayed statement and the failure to address the question prooerly in the first place. Some even called for the WNBA commissioner to step down from her position, which she has occupied since 2019. She previously served as CEO of the multinational professional services network company Deloitte.
"Naw you not the right person to be running a league where 85-90% of the players are black. You wouldn't protect them. You wouldn't be able to. Your statement is like a second thought, it should have been automaticity your response. Step down now," a fan responded.
"Your apology should be as loud as your disrespect," a fan wrote.
"Kinda late for that now. You shouldn't have had to be told or reminded how things 'actually' are for players. Their safety and mental health should be your first priority," another fan commented.
"This comes off as EGREGIOUSLY disingenuous…," a fan claimed.
"Why have you not dealt with this and protected the players from all the negative energy?" one fan asked.
"Turn in that resignation. The league has outgrew you. Move along," another fan remarked.
Breanna Stewart responds to Cathy Engelbert's remarks
Several WNBA players were not happy with what Cathy Engelbert said on national television regarding the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry. Engelbert failed to address the issue of fans becoming toxic against one another, furthering the divide between the two fanbases.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart was disappointed with Engelbert. She thought that race should have never been brought up because the league is all about inclusivity.
She opined that division won't help in growing the sport and new fans should be enticed to watch because of the Clark-Reese rivalry on the court.
"Become a fan of our sport, and for the new ones, lock in on everybody. But don't be disrespectful, because as a league, we stick together, and there's no place for that," Stewart said.
