Dawn Staley Credits WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Amid Brutal Backlash
Before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on October 3, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the scathing claims that Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier made about her a few days prior. For instance, Collier claimed Engelbert said, ''Caitlin [Clark] should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything."
"Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She has been a great representative of the game; she has brought tens of millions of new fans. Proud of what she's putting on the court. Unfortunately, the injuries held her back from a full season this year," Engelbert said about the Clark claim.
When asked about the allegedly saying, "Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars, for the media rights deal that I got them," Engelbert added, "There's a lot of inaccuracy out there... and so I think what's most helpful is to focus on, I have been in touch with Napheesa... So I think obviously, a lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn't say."
Dawn Staley Backs Cathy Engelbert Amid WNBA Backlash
Engelbert's response to Collier's claims didn't make her any less of a villain in the eyes of the women's basketball community, and that surely isn't going to change before the league office and the WNBA players agree to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
However, that doesn't mean every member of the women's basketball community is at Engelbert's neck. South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley gave her some credit when speaking with the media on October 14.
"It sounds like it's personal in [Engelbert's] perspective of the situation. And I think people have to understand they're negotiating, right?" Staley said when asked about Collier's comments, per an X post from Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports.
CATHY ENGELBERT GETTING BOOD LMAOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/Ddr4poB2Fa
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) October 11, 2025
"So in negotiations, like any other issues that come up, there's always going to be an emotional attachment to it and then there's facts. Once we get down to the facts, I do think it's going to get done," she continued. "Both of them are playing the sides they need to play. I think it was brave of Phee to step out there and put her name on the line when it comes to where the players stand.
"And at the same time, you look at Cathy Engelbert and I don't think there's another commissioner that has accomplished what she has for the state of women's professional basketball. So they're negotiating. It's part of it," Staley concluded.
Dawn Staley was asked about Napheesa Collier's comments on WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) October 14, 2025
"It sounds like it's personal in her perspective of the situation. And I think people have to understand they're negotiating"
Full answer: pic.twitter.com/aabqXbHAtN
Regardless of whether one agrees with Staley's sentiment, she deserves respect for not just blindly jumping on the Engelbert hate train.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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