The WNBA players are speaking out about the league’s lack of leadership and those in charge don’t like it.
Caitlin Clark graduated from Iowa and joined the WNBA last season. As a result the league finally had some exposure. Before that the leagues attendance, viewership and energy was the worst in sports. Finally, the WNBA had something to brag about….. and the WNBA blew it.
Clark, the greatest scorer and point producer when adding in points off of assists, was the best women’s basketball player in NCAA history. She crushed NCAA scoring records and she brought a fan base bigger than any woman’s basketball player in US history with her to the WNBA last year.
The below chart shows how Clark was in a league of her own when adding points scored and points off of assists together during her senior year at Iowa.
Unfortunately, the WNBA didn’t want her or welcome her. Clark suffered greatly in games in numerous ways. The below example is how the players and the refs abused Clark.
In this series, Clark was poked in the eye by the opposing player after grabbing and pulling Clark all game long. Then the opposing player assaulted her and pushed her. Clark tried to get away but another opponent punched Clark in the back and then another player crashed Clark to the floor. None of Clark’s teammates stood up for her when this happened.
Umm this angle is pic.twitter.com/tyMSWooUir
— Jess (@FeverBandwagon) June 18, 2025
The result of this exchange was a foul on the girl who slammed Clark on the floor, and a technical foul on Clark!
Here is evidence. Photos don’t lie. The finger pointing, the punch in the back and the push after she gets hit in the eye. And Caitlin Clark was given a technical on this non basketball play. https://t.co/f0vNJTMV1C pic.twitter.com/mtXNel01zz
— CCFC- (@sohali2012) June 22, 2025
The greatest shooter in the history of the game was pummeled by opposing players, game, after game, after game.
Caitlin Clark Takes a beating out on the floor, Do you think it’s because she is White or because she is better than they are? pic.twitter.com/6cJsRBQ1m6
— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) May 29, 2025
Clark was injured and missed the All-Star game. Clark had never missed a game since high school until this year in the WNBA.
Clark has already dealt with multiple injuries this season, missing 10 games in total — nine in the regular season and then the Commissioner’s Cup championship. She missed five games with a left quad strain and later sat out five more after injuring her left groin. This is uncharted territory for Clark, who did not miss any playing time for injury reasons at Iowa or during her WNBA rookie year.
While Clark was out earlier this season, the WNBA lost half its audience.
WNBA Panics as Attendance Collapses with Caitlin Clark Injury
Last year, the WNBA members on the Olympic Committee and the nasty coach of the WNBA’s Minnesota team (Cheryl Reeve), prevented Clark, the best player in the country from being on the Olympic team. It was the worst decision in Olympic history in decades. Clark could have brought so many more viewers to the game. But they kept her off the team.
Clark handles all the challenges with grace. But her games became too difficult to watch because of the horrible players, refs, coaches and league.
Players pummeled the WNBA’s golden goose and they were rarely called for a foul. Clark touches someone and immediately gets called for a foul.
Broadcast team breaks down every foul defenders are allowed to get away with on Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/985PVBvwH8
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) July 13, 2025
This is all on the worst league in world history. This happens all the time. It’s gotten to the point where basketball fans and fans of Caitlin Clark have had enough. It became too much to watch. It was like watching a boxer get pummeled with one hand tied behind his back.
HOW IS CAITLIN CLARK GETTING GRABBED W NO FOUL??? pic.twitter.com/LkhobeEaVV
— LeLakers 2️⃣3️⃣ (@LeLaker) June 25, 2025
The abuse happened every game.
The worst refs in the worst league in sports watch Caitlin Clark get crushed and no foul WTH. @gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/0QeUGtdtor
— Joe Hoft (@realJoeHoft) August 18, 2024
The league’s front office, the coaches, the refs, the other players and her own teammates have been heartless, jealous and abusive to Clark who was the league’s savior.
Finally, another player stepped up and called out WNBA leadership for the mess the league was in.
In a scathing critique of WNBA leadership, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier directly called out league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on multiple fronts Tuesday, describing her handling of leaguewide complaints over officiating as “negligence.”
Speaking at her end-of-season exit interview, Collier read from a prepared statement as she listed her issues with the league office, describing the WNBA as having “the worst leadership in the world.”
“The real threat to our league isn’t money,” Collier said. “It isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office.”
She added, in regard to officiating: “Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached the levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates. Whether the league cares about the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage.”
Other players stepped up and backed Collier.
Lexie Hull responds to Napheesa’s comments on the leadership:
“I agree with everything she said. We are in a really important time in the league and changes need to be made. Really proud of her for making that statement today”
She handled those questions very well pic.twitter.com/xahZEjB2Lt
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 30, 2025
The WNBA is a mess. Players are being needlessly injured, the refs are terrible, and it all is the fault of horrible league management.
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