WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confronted issues of harassment against players during the league’s All-Star game press conference. She stressed the implementation of measures aimed at improving player experiences both on and off the court, as well as online.
The racism, the misogyny, the homophobia, the harassment, and threats directed to our players has no place in sport or anywhere else,
Engelbert declared, acknowledging the increased intensity of these problems in recent weeks, issues she noted have persisted since she took on her role.
Engelbert affirmed, There’s more work to do and we need to make sure we’re doing it.
Concerns have been voiced by fans over alleged racial attacks on Caitlin Clark, following an incident where Alyssa Thomas from Phoenix Mercury struck her during a game. Threats and racially charged comments have been directed at other players too, including Chelsea Gray from the Aces, who reported receiving racially motivated insults in a direct message on Instagram.
Some critics have argued for Engelbert’s dismissal due to how recent and past league controversies were handled. During the press conference, questions arose about her future as commissioner starting 2027, but Engelbert provided no definitive answer.
While addressing player security, Engelbert mentioned the role of keyboard warriors
, individuals actively sending messages to players through direct messages and other channels. We’re gonna try to attack it and we’re gonna communicate a lot more with the players on that,
she stated.
When queried about the transparency of investigations into fines and suspensions, Engelbert frequently responded with we have processes,
without elaborating further.
Notably, Engelbert was not asked about a USA Today column critical of Clark’s approach to hard contact and referee decisions, nor about the incident involving Thomas’s punch to Clark or a letter from 11 GOP lawmakers demanding accountability over Clark’s treatment.
The commissioner wasn’t questioned about an allegedly cancelled interview with The Dan Patrick Show either.
Engelbert announced plans for a full replay center to be implemented by 2027. This step represents part of the league’s strategic enhancements.
Jackson Thompson, a sports reporter at Fox News Digital, covers political and cultural topics in sports. His investigative work has contributed to federal actions on Title IX enforcement and has been recognized by notable media outlets.