WNBA Commissioner's Caitlin Clark 'Should Be Grateful' Claim Relayed by Lynx Star
The WNBA league office has been thrust under a spotlight of intense scrutiny ever since Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve embarked on a verbal tirade after her team's WNBA Semifinals loss on September 26.
Among what Reeve said was, "I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. It's bad for the game. The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy is f****** malpractice."
Cheryl Reeve goes off on the refs:
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 27, 2025
"This is the look that our league wants for some reason. I wanna call for a change of leadership at the league level. For the leadership to deem those 3 people (refs) semifinals playoff worthy is fucking malpractice" pic.twitter.com/pN2paeohUM
These comments aren't anything new or revelatory, as there have been constant complaints from fans, players, and coaches about the league's inconsistent officiating this season, which the league office refuses to take accountability for.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has blasted referees several times this season and was recently fined by the league for showing support for Reeve's recent sentiment.
Lynx star Napheesa Collier did a September 30 exit interview and took her head coach's words to new heights. And she even included a bit about Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark that is sure to steal headlines.
Napheesa Collier Claims WNBA Commissioner Said Caitlin Clark Should Be 'Grateful' For Platform League Provides
After going on a long monologue where she said, "We have the best league in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But we have the worst leadership in the world," Collier added, "I also asked [WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert during a discussion earlier this year] how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel [Reese], and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years," per a video from FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul's YouTube account.
"Her response was, 'Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything,'" Collier added.
"And in that same conversation, [Engelbert] told me, 'Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars, for the media right deal that I got them,'" Collier continued. "That's the mentality driving our league from the top."
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert allegedly said:
— correlation (@nosyone4) September 30, 2025
“Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her she wouldn’t make anything...players should be on their knees thanking…for the media rights deal I got them.” pic.twitter.com/JlpC4XkkCK
Collier's comments are already spreading like wildfire across social media and are sure to evoke strong reactions from other players as well as the league office.
This stance from the Lynx star (who is the co-founder of Unrivaled) makes it seem like she's ready to go to battle with the WNBA. And her invoking Clark is only going to add more attention and intrigue.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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