Fever’s Sophie Cunningham defends Caitlin Clark against WNBA commissioner

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was drawn into controversy this week after WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier claimed that league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that the former Iowa star should be “grateful” for the platform the league provides her during a conversation about salary concerns.  

The allegations prompted Clark’s teammate, Sophie Cunningham, to fire back on social media, calling Engelbert “the most delusional leader” in WNBA history. 

In this Sept. 29, 2019, photo, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks at a news conference before Game 1 of basketball’s WNBA Finals between the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics.  (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The controversy began this week when, on Tuesday, Collier read a statement in front of members of the media raising concerns about the “lack of accountability from the league office.” In her remarks, Collier recalled an alleged conversation with Engelbert, in which the commissioner made patronizing remarks regarding player concerns. 

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“I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league,” Collier said. “Her response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs.” 

“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel [Reese] and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.’

“And in that same conversation, she told me, ‘Players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.’ That’s the mentality driving our league from the top.”

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, New York, on April 15, 2024. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

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Engelbert’s alleged comments prompted Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who also had her season cut short due to injury, to defend her teammate on social media. 

“People only know Cathy because of C…. She’s the most delusional leader our league has seen,” Cunningham wrote in a comment on a post on Instagram.

Clark has not commented publicly on Collier’s statement, but during the All-Star break this past season, she and other players wore black T-shirts with a message that read “Pay us what you owe us.” 

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts against the Phoenix Mercury during an WNBA game at PHX Arena on Aug. 7, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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The message was in support of the players’ position regarding compensation amid the ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations. The players’ association and the WNBA agreed to an eight-year agreement in 2020, but last year the WNBPA voted to opt out of the agreement early. 

The current agreement is due to expire on Oct. 31. 

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