WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issues clarification after facing severe backlash for controversial Clark-Reese rivalry remark

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert took to social media to clarify her remarks on the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry. Earlier, her comments garnered immense flak when she weighed in on the competition between the two rookies while speaking on CNBC's 'Power Lunch' show. Her comments sparked instant responses from some of the players in the league, including A'ja Wilson, Alysha Clark, and Brianna Turner.

The backlash was equally immense on X (formerly Twitter), and Engelbert later sent out a tweet to clarify her remark.

"During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race. To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else."

Engelbert had responded to anchor Tyler Mathisen's question of how the rivalry between two of the youngest and rising stars in the WNBA had taken a dark turn, with rise in hateful comments towards the players on social media.

In return, the commissioner had likened the league's players to icons and likened Clark and Reese's rivalry to that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the NBA in the early 80s. However, she pivoted to the importance of rivalries in sport and said social media today is a different beast compared to 1979.

"I always tell the players, I was told a long time ago if someone's typing something in and you wouldn't ask their advice, ignore it. It's a balance.

But certainly from marketing dollars, corporate partners are stepping up to endorse these players much more so than they were five years ago, because they see the benefit of having women and diverse women representing the brand," she continued.

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WNBPA issues statement after Cathy Engelbert's comments on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry

Soon after Cathy Engelbert's take, the WNBPA issued a statement of their own saying it was what the commissioner should have responded.

"Here is the answer that the Commissioner should have provided to the very clear question regarding the racism, misogyny, and harassment experienced by the players. There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments, and misogynistic attack our players are facing on social media."

The Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese narrative has been doing the rounds since the drafting of the two stars once they declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft. Each performance, good and bad has been under the microscope by fans and analysts alike and will continue to do so, especially with the Indiana Fever playoff-bound and Reese's Chicago Sky battling for a playoff spot with only the No. 8 seed remaining.