WNBA chief clarifies she’s opposed to ‘hate or racism’ after response on social media abuse draws player scorn

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert late Tuesday night clarified that she’s vehemently opposed to “hate or racism” after her response to a question about social media abuse drew criticism from players in her league.

Engelbert, appearing on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” was asked about rookie sensations Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and the often nasty online back and forth between the players’ fan bases.

CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen wanted Engelbert to comment on social media chatter that’s often “taken a darker turn, a more menacing turn, where race has been introduced into the conversation, where sexuality is sometimes introduced into the conversation.”

Clark is white and Reese is Black.

Instead of addressing the matter with a simple message against online hate, Engelbert toasted their rivalry and celebrated that there’s “no more apathy” in the WNBA.

“But the one thing I know about sports is you need rivalry,” she told CNBC. “That’s what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don’t want everybody being nice to one another.”

Engelbert’s response drew considerable attention within WNBA circles and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart — one of the league’s best known players not named Clark, Reese or A’ja Wilson — called the commissioner’s words “kind of disappointing to hear.”

“We want our sport to be inclusive for race, gender and really a place where people can be themselves,” the reigning MVP Stewart said after her team’s win over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday night.

“So we wish, obviously, Cathy would (have used her) platform in a different way.”

Terri Jackson, executive director of players union WNBPA, accused the commissioner of callously treating online abuse as part of “a business model.”

“There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments and misogynistic attacks our players are facing on social media,” Jackson said in statement issued by the union.

“This is not about rivalries or iconic personalities fueling a business model. This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked.”

And just before midnight, Engelbert posted a more direct response to hateful online rhetoric.

“During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race,” she wrote on the platform formally known as Twitter. “To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else.”

Clark, the former Iowa star, has driven a remarkable increase in ticket sales and TV ratings in the WNBA by averaging 19.2 points and a league-high 8.5 assists per game.

Reese, an LSU alum who recently suffered a season-ending injury, is pulling down a WNBA-high 13.1 rebounds per contest.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com