The Indiana Fever came incredibly close to advancing to the WNBA Finals on Tuesday night. Indiana lost 107-98 against Phoenix in Game 5 despite losing superstar Kelsey Mitchell in the third quarter. Now one Fever player is joining the chorus of WNBA figures speaking out against Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham spoke out against Engelbert after Napheesa Collier's comments against WNBA leadership on Tuesday.
“People only know Cathy because of [Caitlin],” Cunningham posted on Instagram, per ESPN. “She's the most delusional leader our league has seen. … AND IT SHOULDN'T EVER BE ABOUT OUR COMMISSIONER IN THE FIRST PLACE.”
Cunningham has already been fined multiple times this season after speaking out against WNBA referees. Naturally, she is expecting more fines after making additional comments against Engelbert.
She even joked with fans on social media about creating a GoFundMe to pay for her future fines.
“Honestly, I'm starting to like this idea,” Cunningham replied.
The backlash against Engelbert comes at a pivotal time for the WNBA. The league is negotiating with players on a new CBA ahead of the 2026 season.
Fever guard Caitlin Clark staying out of Cathy Engelbert conversation so far
Indiana's most important player has yet to weigh in on the Cathy Engelbert drama.
Caitlin Clark has not made an official comment on the matter, despite being mentioned in Collier's exit interview on Tuesday.
According to Collier, Engelbert said Clark “should be grateful” she makes so much money off the court.
“I also asked how she plans 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,” Collier said. “Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.'”
The insinuation being that Clark, and the rest of the WNBA's best players, do not deserve a higher salary.
The firestorm around Cathy Engelbert shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. It will be interesting to see if, or when, Clark makes a statement on the matter.
