Caitlin Clark and her teammates protested months ago during the All-Star Weekend. Their shirts, boldly stating “Pay Us What You Owe,” drew widespread attention. Yet today, nothing has changed — in fact, things have worsened after accusations against WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The question remains: what will happen next to Clark and her teammates?
When Napheesa Collier revealed what Engelbert had allegedly said about Clark, tensions in the league skyrocketed. This controversy comes as the WNBA faces an October 31 deadline to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
Will Engelbert retaliate?
According to Essentiallysports, ‘WNBA on NBC’ hosts Natalie Esquire and Megan L. Hall recently discussed Engelbert’s reaction to the Collier situation. “I was watching her body language, and she looked very uncomfortable answering those questions — I can imagine there was a lot of pressure,” Hall noted. “Her eyes were darting back and forth… you can tell a brutal phase is coming.”
Hall added, “There were moments when Engelbert looked down, listened to the questions, and seemed unsure how to respond. To me, she didn’t seem to fully grasp what was happening — almost like she couldn’t get through that pressure fast enough.”
These reactions make it clear that Collier’s accusations hit the WNBA Commissioner hard. The question now is whether Engelbert will try to mend things with Clark, Collier, and the other players — perhaps during the ongoing contract negotiations.
“There’s a deadline of October 31 to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, and as of October 6, I’m not convinced we’ll make it,” Hall said. “That could mean a lockout is on the horizon.”
However, Engelbert previously stated there’s no chance of a lockout, suggesting she may be working toward a fair deal for everyone — without retaliation. That’s exactly what WNBA fans and players are hoping for.
