After WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert this week on CNBC chalked up online hate speech that players face to the necessary byproduct of commercial growth, players responded strongly against Engelbert and led her to apologize to them via email, as per new reporting from The Wall Street Journal.
Engelbert reportedly sent a letter to all players on Friday morning.
“I was asked a question about WNBA rivalries and the dark side of social media and race and simply put, my answer missed the mark and I’m sorry,” Engelbert wrote, according to Rachel Bachman of the WSJ.
“I regret that I didn’t express, in a clear and definitive way, condemnation of the hateful speech that is all too often directed at WNBA players on social media,” Engelbert continued. “This is a teachable moment and one that I embrace with humility.”
Engelbert’s comments came in an interview Monday with CNBC in which she was asked about her stance on the bigotry that WNBA players deal with from fans online.
Engelbert responded by hyping up the rivalry between rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, two primary symbols of the culture war that has enveloped the league in some circles, and encouraging stars to simply ignore vitriol online.
By Wednesday, Engelbert posted an apology on X.
The WNBA players’ association responded with a statement which said in part that “racism, and the toll it takes on everyone, is never tolerable, let alone justifiable, in the name of economic growth.”
The letter also reportedly included promises that the WNBA will “be swift in denouncing racism, misogyny and homophobia” and “continue providing mental-health resources and would listen to its players.”
One conversation that may have spurred Engelbert toward her apology, per Bachman, was a call with WNBA players’ association president Nneka Ogwumike, who said she encouraged Engelbert to develop personal relationships with players and understand their lived experiences competing in the league.
The women’s basketball audience is booming in 2024, and record ticket sales and media rights revenue bear that out. However, stars like Angel Reese continue to speak out about the racism, death threats and AI deep fakes she deals with consistently. Reese even named Clark’s fans as big culprits of the hate, while making it clear Clark herself is not feeding into it.
No league has a clear idea of how to fully stop fans and media from nasty commentary toward athletes, but players clearly expected much more from Engelbert. Her dismissal signaled a lack of care about the problem at all, so ideally for all parties, this letter is the beginning of a better relationship between the WNBPA and the league office on this issue.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.