WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s previous comments about league and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark’s earning potential during a CNBC interview resurfaced on social media Friday.

The previous comments came to light after Engelbert denied telling Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier that Clark “should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,” according to Collier.

The controversy began earlier this week when a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) circulated a quote attributed to Engelbert, claiming she had once said that Clark’s endorsement deals and NIL wealth had created “unrealistic expectations” for incoming WNBA players.

The supposed quote read: “Caitlin Clark is an exceptional athlete, but her financial situation isn’t the norm. We can’t reshape the entire league’s pay structure because of one player’s marketability.”

Within hours, the post racked up hundreds of thousands of views, sparking a fierce online debate. Many fans interpreted the alleged comments as dismissive of Clark’s impact and tone-deaf to the ongoing discussion about pay equity in women’s sports.

“This is exactly why the WNBA struggles to connect with casual fans,” one user wrote. “You have a superstar who’s changing the game, and instead of celebrating her, they’re complaining about what she earns.”

While Engelbert denied making that statement during a news conference Friday, her previous comments during an interview at the CNBC Changemakers Summit in April 2024 echoed similar themes.

Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after she is selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, N.Y., April 15, 2024. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)

“Caitlin has the ability to make up to a half-million dollars just in WNBA wages this year. So, of course, they’re just looking at a base which is collectively bargained. And, actually, it’s low because she’s the No. 1 pick. She’ll make a little more than that,” Engelbert said.

“She also has millions and millions of dollars [in] endorsements. Because she declared to become pro, her endorsements are higher in dollar value. She has a global platform now, not just a U.S. platform. So, she’s going to do just fine as will the top players in the league as every league does.”

Engelbert’s made the comments just days after Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Fever. Clark’s WNBA base salary that year was just $76,535.

Clark did sign an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike that she signed in April 2024, before she ever played a game in the WNBA. And she had previous deals with Nike and other sponsors during her college career at Iowa.

The commissioner faced immense backlash from fans, media pundits and active players after Collier made the allegations that Engelbert said Clark should be “grateful” and “wouldn’t make anything” without the WNBA last week, which Collier said came in a private conversation.

Collier also alleged Engelbert told her, “Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”

While addressing the alleged comments about Clark, Engelbert denied making them.

“Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game,” Engelbert said at Friday’s news conference.

However, Engelbert did not explicitly deny making the alleged comments about players that “should be on their knees.” Instead, the commissioner responded by claiming there have been a lot of “inaccuracies” reported in the media.

“There’s a lot of inaccuracy out there through social media and all this reporting,” Engelbert said. “A lot of reporting, a lot of innacuracy about what I say, what I didn’t say.”

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has been outspoken about WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s recent comments. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

Engelbert later said, “I’m disheartened. I’m a human too. I have a family. I have two kids who are devastated by these comments. So, all I say is that it’s obviously been a tough week, and I just think there’s a lot of innacuracy out there.”

Still, Engelbert acknowledged that if players don’t feel “appreciated,” she has “to do better.”

“I was disheartened to hear that some players feel the league and that I personally do not care about them or listen to them,” Engelbert said before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals Friday night.

“If the players in the ‘W’ don’t feel appreciated and value from the league, we have to do better, and I have to do better.”

The WNBA is facing yet another storm — and this time, it’s not about gameplay, trades, or playoff drama. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has found herself in the center of a growing controversy after past comments allegedly made about Caitlin Clark’s earnings resurfaced online, sparking outrage among fans and players alike. Engelbert has publicly denied ever making the remarks, but the backlash shows no signs of slowing, with social media ablaze and the league’s credibility being called into question.

Engelbert’s office swiftly issued a statement denying that she ever made the remark, calling the viral quote “fabricated” and “entirely false.” The statement read: “Commissioner Engelbert has never made or endorsed any comments criticizing Caitlin Clark’s earnings or financial status. Any suggestion otherwise is misinformation. The Commissioner has consistently supported the progress and visibility that players like Caitlin have brought to the league.”

Despite the denial, skepticism continues to spread online. Some fans argue that even if the quote was fabricated, the sentiment rings true to what they see as the league’s slow embrace of Clark’s star power. “They may not have said it out loud, but the attitude has been obvious,” one fan posted. “Caitlin’s selling out arenas, but they act like she’s just another rookie.” Another user wrote, “The WNBA PR team can deny it all they want — but the fans aren’t blind. The league has been awkward about Caitlin from day one.”

The timing of the controversy couldn’t be worse for the WNBA. With the postseason heating up and attention on the league higher than it’s been in years, the resurfacing of old (and possibly false) comments threatens to overshadow the on-court action. Analysts note that the WNBA has been walking a delicate line between celebrating Clark’s record-breaking popularity and maintaining parity among veteran players who’ve fought for years for respect and visibility.

“Caitlin Clark is a once-in-a-generation marketing force,” sports analyst Jemele Hill noted on her podcast. “The league wants to capitalize on her star power, but they’re also cautious — maybe too cautious — about not making her bigger than the WNBA itself. This tension isn’t new, but this controversy has made it glaring.”

Engelbert, who’s been Commissioner since 2019, has been credited with expanding sponsorships and growing league visibility, but her tenure hasn’t been free from criticism. Some players have accused the league of inconsistent communication and slow progress on player benefits and pay. Clark’s meteoric rise — from NCAA sensation to the WNBA’s biggest box-office draw — has amplified those debates.

When Clark entered the league earlier this year, her rookie salary of just over $76,000 drew widespread outrage, especially in contrast to her multimillion-dollar endorsement portfolio with Nike, State Farm, and Gatorade. Fans and pundits alike called out the WNBA’s salary structure as outdated, arguing that stars like Clark, Angel Reese, and others deserve compensation commensurate with the massive audiences they attract.

This resurfaced controversy, whether true or not, has tapped into that lingering frustration. “Fans aren’t just mad about a fake quote,” one reporter noted. “They’re angry about the truth underneath it — that the WNBA still hasn’t figured out how to reward players who are driving real economic change for the league.”

Adding to the tension, several players have weighed in — carefully, but clearly. A few veteran athletes, speaking anonymously to The Athletic, expressed frustration with how the conversation around Clark has been handled. “We should all be benefiting from what she’s brought in,” one player said. “But the league’s messaging has been messy. They’re acting defensive when they should be excited.”

Clark herself has not publicly commented on the controversy, though she has continued to draw massive crowds and record-breaking TV numbers. Her focus, sources say, remains on basketball and team success. “Caitlin doesn’t get caught up in the noise,” one close associate told ESPN. “She knows people are talking, but she’s letting her game do the talking.”

Still, fan reactions suggest that the league’s leadership is under increasing scrutiny. “Engelbert’s denial may be true, but perception is reality,” said one media analyst. “And right now, the perception is that the WNBA has a complicated relationship with its biggest star.”

Others have rushed to Engelbert’s defense, noting that misinformation spreads fast online and that this may simply be another case of social media outrage gone unchecked. “People believe anything they see on Twitter,” one league executive remarked. “It’s dangerous — and unfair to the Commissioner, who’s worked tirelessly to raise player visibility.”

But for many fans, the issue has already taken root. “The damage is done,” one supporter wrote. “This just confirms what people have been feeling — that the league doesn’t fully appreciate Caitlin Clark’s impact.”

As the debate rages, one thing is clear: the WNBA stands at a crossroads. The league is growing faster than ever, thanks to stars like Clark, Reese, and A’ja Wilson — but its leadership faces an uphill battle in controlling the narrative and proving it’s evolving with the times.

For Cathy Engelbert, this moment may become a defining test of her tenure. Whether the alleged comments were fabricated or simply misunderstood, the reaction shows just how sensitive the balance has become between old-guard traditions and a new generation redefining women’s basketball.

In a league built on unity and progress, perception can be as powerful as truth. And as fans continue to question whether their Commissioner truly supports her brightest star, the WNBA finds itself once again in the eye of a storm — one where silence, denial, or even truth itself may no longer be enough.

The WNBA and its players’ union, the WNBPA, are in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

The players’ association and the WNBA agreed to an eight-year agreement in 2020, but the WNBPA voted last eyar to opt out of the agreement early. The current agreement expires Oct. 31.