WNBA Commissioner Pushes Back on Claims that Caitlin Clark Is Being Targeted by Other Players

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert doesn’t buy into the theory that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is being targeted by other players in the league.

Engel on Wednesday appeared on Today with Hoda & Jenna to discuss Clark and the recent success of the WNBA. Thanks to Clark, games involving her and the Fever have set viewership records on six different networks. In fact, her last two games against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky are the two most-watched WNBA games in more than 20 years.

Unfortunately for the league, that spotlight has brought with it a slew of controversial narratives regarding Clark’s role within the league. Due to multiple instances of Clark taking hard fouls, some have even concluded that she’s being targeted because other players are jealous of her.

Engelbert believes new fans just need to take time to adjust to the physicality of the league.

“The fans we’ve had for a long time know how we have the best, biggest, most physical, best players in the world,” Engelbert said. “What people don’t realize [is] in college, there’s over 200 NCAA Division I women’s college programs. There’s 12 WNBA teams; so you take the talent and it’s centralized with the best, the biggest, most physical, and, really, the best players in the world. So I think there’s always an adjustment for all rookies. I think our rookie class this year is doing outstanding, including Caitlin. She was the rookie of the month for May.”

Watch above via Today with Hoda & Jenna.

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