Several WNBA players and WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson have criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for her comments on the perceived rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Engelbert compared the rivalry to the iconic Bird-Magic moment of 1979 during an appearance on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” but players felt she missed addressing significant issues like racism, misogyny, and harassment prominently seen in social media discussions.
Jackson’s response stressed the necessity of combatting toxic behavior rather than fostering rivalries. She emphasized that sports should not tolerate hate, racism, homophobia, or misogyny as part of fandom and encouraged fandom to support the game positively.
Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, Las Vegas Aces center Queen Egbo, and other key players expressed their disappointment online, feeling that Engelbert had a golden opportunity to set a firm standard against hate but failed to do so. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Chicago Sky forward Brianna Turner also voiced similar concerns, calling for inclusivity and the rejection of discrimination.
Both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have separately condemned using their names to promote racist or misogynistic agendas. Despite the controversies, their rookie seasons have been historic. Clark leads in several performance metrics, while Reese dominated in rebounds before her season-ending wrist injury.
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