A number of WNBA gamers and WNBPA government director Terri Jackson criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Tuesday for Engelbert’s feedback earlier this week about toxicity created by the perceived rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
The backlash got here after Engelbert was requested explicitly throughout an look on CNBC’s “Energy Lunch” on Monday how the WNBA tries to “keep forward of” or act when sentiments about Clark and Reese contain some “very uncharitable issues concerning the different,” and particularly about feedback on-line that “have taken a darker flip, a extra menacing flip, the place race has been launched into the dialog, the place sexuality is typically launched into the dialog.”
“The one factor that’s nice concerning the league proper now, we do sit at this intersection of tradition and sports activities and vogue and music,” Engelbert replied. “Like, the WNBA gamers are actually checked out now as type of cultural icons. And when you might have that, you might have quite a lot of consideration on you. … It’s a little little bit of that Fowl-Magic second in the event you recall, from 1979. When these two rookies got here in from a giant school rivalry, one White, one Black. And so we have now that second with these two.
“However the one factor I find out about sports activities, you want rivalry. That’s what makes individuals watch. They wish to watch video games of consequence between rivals. They don’t need all people being good to at least one one other.”
WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert on the toxicity that’s spawned from the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese rivalry. Appears to me the WNBA media who retains chastising the followers, is working counter to what the commissioner desires. Let me know what you assume. #WNBA #feverrising
Full… pic.twitter.com/N67HN0n6Vn
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) September 9, 2024
Jackson wrote in a response to Engelbert’s feedback the commissioner erred in not offering a extra definitive response “to the very clear query relating to the racism, misogyny and harassment skilled by the gamers.”
Jackson mentioned that there was “completely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic feedback and misogynistic assaults” gamers obtain on social media. “This isn’t about rivalries or iconic personalities feeling a enterprise mannequin,” Jackson added within the WNBPA’s assertion Tuesday. “This type of poisonous fandom ought to by no means be tolerated or left unchecked.”
When discussing Clark and Reese’s fan bases, Jackson mentioned that “fandom ought to carry up the sport, not tear down the very individuals who carry it to life.”
On Tuesday night, Engelbert clarified her feedback on CNBC in a publish on X: “To be clear, there’s completely no place for hate or racism of any type within the WNBA or wherever else.”
Jackson’s assertion Tuesday was the most recent remark from key WNBA figures about Engelbert’s remarks.
Connecticut Solar guard DiJonai Carrington shared a GIF on X expressing her displeasure and referred to as Engelbert’s feedback “type of a fumble” when chatting with reporters earlier than the Solar’s sport Tuesday.
“There was a silver platter to simply tackle it,” Carrington mentioned. “Clearly you possibly can’t management what persons are gonna say, what persons are gonna do, what persons are gonna tweet out. You may’t management social media. However that has nothing to do with what you are able to do and utilizing your voice and your platform to attempt to put a cease to it.
“Or to simply say, this isn’t the kind of conduct that we recommend because the league. And because the commissioner who has what, most likely 90 p.c Black individuals or individuals who establish as Black indirectly form or kind within the league, I feel it was type of eye-opening as a result of the issues that we have now all skilled this season have been fairly sickening.”
https://t.co/ypasWLy9N8 pic.twitter.com/8j4CVKpnKy
— dιjonaι carrιngтon♛ (@DijonaiVictoria) September 10, 2024
Las Vegas Aces middle Queen Egbo wrote on X: “It’s like….. no approach she mentioned that?¿…”
Different members of the Aces additionally appeared to publicize their disappointment on social media.
— Sydney Colson (@SydJColson) September 10, 2024
Candy. Child. Jesus. pic.twitter.com/2RKjsmpojP
— Alysha Clark (@Alysha_Clark) September 10, 2024
“We wish our sport to be inclusive for race, for gender, and actually be a spot the place individuals might be themselves,” New York Liberty ahead Breanna Stewart mentioned. “So we want, clearly, Cathy would have used her platform differently and have made that a bit bit higher, simply telling the followers sufficient is sufficient.”
Reese’s teammate, Chicago Sky ahead Brianna Turner, wrote on X: “I stand in opposition to all types of discrimination, hatred, and bias, particularly in reference to sports activities. The intersection of racism and sports activities ought to all the time be rejected. No platform is just too large or too small to face for the fitting factor. No excuses.”
The WNBA has seen a surge in curiosity this season, with Clark and Reese taking part within the most-watched sport in over 20 years. Conversations across the two rookies have prolonged properly past their on-court manufacturing this season. Politicians, athletes, media personalities and even editorial boards have weighed in on debates about both one, or each, of the first-year gamers.
Final week, Reese voiced that she doesn’t imagine Clark has any hatred towards her, nor does she have hatred for the Fever star. She did, nonetheless, acknowledge feeling an absence of respect by some Clark supporters. “Generally it’s very disrespectful. I feel there’s quite a lot of racism in the case of it,” Reese mentioned on her podcast. “And I don’t imagine she stands on any of that.”
Earlier this season, Clark denounced her identify getting used to push agendas of racism and misogyny, calling it “disappointing” and “unacceptable.”
“Everyone in our world deserves the identical quantity of respect,” Clark mentioned in June. “The ladies in our league deserve the identical quantity of respect, so individuals shouldn’t be utilizing my identify to push these agendas.
“This league is a league I grew up admiring and desirous to be part of. A number of the ladies on this league had been my greatest idols and function fashions rising up and helped me wish to obtain this second proper right here that I get to play in each single evening so simply treating each single girl on this league with the identical quantity of respect is a fundamental human factor that everyone ought to do. Deal with them how you’ll wish to be handled. I feel it’s quite simple.”
Each Clark and Reese have had historic rookie seasons. Clark entered the league because the No. 1 choose within the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is averaging a rookie-best 19.2 factors per sport this season, and he or she ranks third in scoring (24.7) and first in assists (9.3) amongst all gamers for the reason that All-Star break. Reese, the seventh choose, led the league in rebounds per sport (13.1) earlier than struggling a wrist harm on Friday that can trigger her to overlook the remainder of the season.
The Athletic‘s Sabreena Service provider contributed to this story.
(Picture: Alex Slitz / Getty Photos)
