WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert walked again her feedback earlier this week, the place she failed to handle the abusive phrases and actions coming from Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese followers.
Engelbert not too long ago appeared on CNBC and was requested concerning the on-line discourse that has was racial and sexist abuse. The commissioner seemingly sidestepped the query, leaning into the “rivalry” between the 2 rookies and talking about how each gamers ought to “ignore” these followers.
The commissioner’s solutions — and subsequent follow-up tweet trying to make clear her feedback — didn’t sit effectively with Breanna Stewart and different gamers throughout the league. In line with Rachel Bachman of The Wall Road Journal, Engelbert apologized Friday in a letter to the gamers. Right here’s a part of what it stated:
“I used to be requested a query about WNBA rivalries and the darkish facet of social media and race, and easily put, my reply missed the mark, and I’m sorry.”
“I remorse that I didn’t categorical, in a transparent and definitive method, condemnation of the hateful speech that’s all too usually directed at WNBA gamers on social media. It is a teachable second and one which I embrace with humility. There may be completely no room for racism, misogyny, homophobia and different types of hate within the WNBA or wherever.”
“I do know a lot of you might have been coping with it for a very long time. I would like us as a league to do our half to alter the too usually poisonous and abusive nature of social media discourse.”
NEW: The WNBA’s breakout season has had an unpleasant facet: a surge in racial abuse of gamers on-line.
The problem lastly burst into the open this week.
Immediately, the commissioner despatched an apology e-mail to all WNBA gamers.https://t.co/4KpV6gQaVd
— Rachel Bachman (@Bachscore) September 13, 2024
Per Jackie Powell of The Subsequent, Stewart appeared receptive to Engelbert’s apology and even spoke with the commissioner on the telephone.
I spoke to Breanna Stewart at this time and bought her response to the letter Cathy Engelbert despatched to all gamers following her feedback on CNBC.
Engelbert additionally referred to as Stewart on Wednesday, the day after Stewart addressed Engelbert’s feedback in a postgame presser on Tuesday night time. pic.twitter.com/c6ElHhEEfH
— Jackie Powell (she/her) (@ClassicJpow) September 14, 2024
It’s also value noting that Girls’s Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation (WNBPA) president and Seattle Storm ahead Nneka Ogwumike chatted with Engelbert as effectively.
The Commissioner despatched a letter to the entire gamers apologizing for her “rivalry” remarks on CNBC subsequent to her X publish condemning racism.
She additionally spoke with gamers, together with Nneka Ogwumike, WNBPA President.
(by way of @Bachscore, @WSJ): https://t.co/h4GbZcgw2B pic.twitter.com/beafqqrPBr
— Natalie Esquire (@natfluential) September 14, 2024
