NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was forced to step into the WNBA's Caitlin Clark controversy after league chief Cathy Engelbert allegedly hesitated to take action, according to a new report from Sports Business Journal.
The WNBA was rocked by scandal last month when Indiana Fever star Clark, arguably the face of the league, was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas during a game on June 24. Engelbert subsequently suspended Thomas for one game and hit her with a Flagrant 2 penalty carrying a $1,000 fine.
Multiple sources told Sports Business Journal that Engelbert initially did not intend to suspend Thomas for the hit on Clark. A WNBA spokesperson called the claim "absolutely false," but insiders reportedly said Silver had to intervene to persuade Engelbert to reverse course.
Silver, who has served as NBA Commissioner for more than 12 years, reportedly urged his fellow league leader to issue the discipline after her initial hesitancy. He is said to have believed there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul on Clark and told Engelbert he felt bad for the former No. 1 pick.
Engelbert reportedly felt that, since no foul was called on the court against Thomas during the game, a follow-up suspension seemed "too steep." A source close to Engelbert told Sports Business Journal that league referee operations and basketball operations personnel commonly make recommendations after potential flagrant foul calls.
Speculation Over Engelbert's Future
League insiders reportedly believe Silver's intervention is another sign this could be Engelbert's last season in charge. She had been afforded something of a reprieve from speculation over her future following the WNBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement earlier this year, but many close to the league now reportedly feel the writing is on the wall for Engelbert, who has been Commissioner since 2019.
Asked at Tuesday night's NBA Summer League news conference whether the NBA or WNBA Board of Governors had addressed Engelbert's long-term future, Silver praised the WNBA's "tremendous progress" under her leadership. He added: "We'll have ongoing discussions about what [her] future looks like."
Backlash Over Clark Incident
Engelbert has faced a wave of backlash in recent weeks, largely tied to the Clark saga. The league's lack of an initial reaction to Thomas' punch sparked criticism of the player, officials and the league itself, with some accusing the WNBA of routinely failing to protect its biggest star.
A group of 11 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to Engelbert this week demanding she take "accountability" for what they called "multiple attacks" on Clark.
Engelbert also drew criticism last week after cancelling a scheduled interview on the Dan Patrick Show while playing in the ACC Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, despite initially agreeing to appear. Patrick had promoted the interview, set for last Thursday, throughout the week, but said the Commissioner backed out at the behest of the WNBA's PR team. Patrick said he and his producers "waited almost two hours" for Engelbert and contacted the WNBA multiple times before getting a "feeble" response.
Tension Over Clark's Spotlight
An insider told the Daily Mail last month that jealousy over the attention Clark has commanded since turning professional is fueling the tension. "Unfortunately jealousy and racism play a huge part in all of this as many believe Caitlin has been given tremendous privilege and attention not because of her play but more that she is the great white hope," the source said.
"She has wanted to stay away from all of that, but that is the sentiment within the league right now that is creating all this drama," the source said. "There are plenty of players around the WNBA who aren't fans of Caitlin Clark, and a lot of that stems from the attention and spotlight she received the moment she entered the league. Some veterans felt she was being handed a level of recognition they spent years working for, while some of her fellow rookies and younger stars believed they deserved a similar share of the spotlight. The league has largely tried to stay neutral, in part because it doesn't want to appear as though it's giving preferential treatment to any one player."
