WNBA Players Slam Commissioner for Not Condemning Fan Racism in Interview About Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese

Mar. 15, 2025

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.Photo:Ethan Miller/Getty

Ethan Miller/Getty

Several WNBA players and their union are speaking out against the league’s commissioner for not condemning racist fan behavior directed towards players during a recent interview.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbertrecently appearedon CNBC’s “Power Lunch” program when anchor Tyler Mathisen brought upthe relationship between Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, and their so-called rivalry on the court.

Mathisen asked Engelbert about how she tries to “stay ahead of” racist and misogynistic vitriol, and how she tries to “tamp it down” when some fans use a “darker” and “more menacing” tone when speaking about women’s basketball players in a way “where race has been introduced in the conversation, where sexuality is sometimes introduced into the conversation.”

“It is a little of that Bird-Magic moment, if you recall, from 1979 when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one black, and so we have that moment with these two,” Engelbert said. “But the one thing I know about sports is you need rivalry. That’s what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don’t want everybody being nice to one another.”

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty

Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty

The answer didn’t sit well with many WNBA players, who spoke out against Engelbert for not condemning the fan behaviors she was being asked about during the interview.“This is not about rivalries or iconic personalities fueling a business model,” Women’s National Basketball Players Association executive director Terri Jacksonsaidin a statement. “This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It demands immediate action, and frankly, should have been addressed long ago.”

Jackson added that “fandom should lift up the game, not tear down the very people who bring it to life.”“Racism, and the toll it takes on everyone, is never tolerable, let alone justifiable, in the name of economic growth,” Jackson said.

Engelbert then took to social media to clarify her stance. “To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else,” the commissionerpostedon X. However, several players had already spoken out about Engelbert’s initial response.

“I wish [Engelbert] would have just said that: ‘It’s not OK,’ “ Clark added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE has reached out to the WNBA for comment.

source: people.com