Union’s criticism of commissioner latest example of WNBA missing the mark

Revolutions are impossible to predict — the necessary ingredients must happen at just the right time to spark change. The world is rarely ready for a revolution, but it’s best if the people who are a part of it hop on board. In the WNBA’s case, it seems the league can’t get out of its own way as the sport rises to uncharted territory, thanks to Caitlin Clark.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared on CNBC’s “Power Launch” Monday with anchor Tyler Mathisen. When asked by Mathisen about the “darker…more menacing” tone fans have adopted on social media regarding the Clark-Angel Reese rivalry, including conversations on race and/or sexuality, Engelbert’s response focused on the rivalry but failed to address the larger matters at hand.

“There’s no more apathy. Everybody cares,” she said, according to an ESPN report. “It is a little of that [Larry] Bird-Magic [Johnson] moment if you recall from 1979 when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one Black. And so we have that moment with these two.

“But the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry. 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 continued by saying she tells players, “If someone’s typing something and you wouldn’t ask their advice, ignore it.”

Women’s National Basketball Players Association executive director Terri Jackson rebuked Engelbert’s comments in a statement Tuesday night.

“Here is the answer that the Commissioner should have provided to the very clear question regarding the racism, misogyny and harassment experienced by the Players,” the statement said. “There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments and the misogynistic attacks our players are facing on social media.

“This is not about rivalries or iconic personalities fueling a business model. This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It demands immediate action, and frankly, should have been addressed long ago.”