Wetzel: Collier comments reflect WNBA's core problem -- How it sees Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark and her service of fans are the WNBA's astir invaluable concern asset. Not the astir invaluable subordinate (at slightest not yet) ... but concern asset.

Clark's accomplishment successful the outpouring of 2024 sent the league's tv ratings, attendance, media rights, sponsorships and franchise evaluations soaring. Overnight, billionaires were warring to wage $250 cardinal for teams of their own.

Clark offered much than conscionable logo-3 highlights. She gave the league hope.

The WNBA's No. 1 extremity should beryllium to instrumentality that monolithic basal of fans who followed Clark from Iowa and crook them into fans of the full league ... not conscionable a azygous subordinate oregon team.

It doesn't substance however oregon wherefore caller customers arrive. Everything should beryllium astir seizing the accidental to marque them regulars by selling them connected the beardown merchandise already playing retired connected a nightly basis.

The WNBA got handed a winning lottery summons not seen successful sports since Tiger Woods arrived connected the PGA Tour.

The league should halt trying to airy it connected fire.

The latest grounds of self-sabotage comes from a speech betwixt WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Minnesota prima Napheesa Collier.

The circumstantial taxable was rookie contracts, which astatine astir $75,000 per twelvemonth undervalue Clark and different young talents specified arsenic Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers who brought smaller -- but inactive invaluable -- instrumentality bases and attraction of their ain from college.

"I ... asked however [Engelbert] planned to hole the information that players similar Caitlin, Angel and Paige, who are intelligibly driving monolithic gross for the league, are making truthful small for their archetypal 4 years," Collier said successful a quality conference. "Her effect was, 'Caitlin should beryllium grateful she makes $16 cardinal disconnected the tribunal due to the fact that without the level the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't marque anything.'"

Collier aboriginal added that Engelbert told her, "players should beryllium connected their knees thanking their fortunate stars for the media rights woody that I got them."

Collier relayed the speech arsenic portion of a screed against Engelbert implicit the prime of officiating, league fines to soundlessness criticism, and different issues. All valid points, particularly heading into negotiations for a caller labour deal. Yet a rant astir officiating, nary substance however ruthlessly delivered, is beauteous common. Entertaining, yes, but it would fade.

Collier is precise smart, however. The Clark comments she attributed to Engelbert had to person been a purposeful grenade.

Clark fans were already wary of the reception she has received successful the WNBA, and they person bully reason.

Hard fouls. Snide comments. Dismissive media commentary. The Olympics. Some of this tin beryllium brushed disconnected arsenic the world of competitory sports. No 1 is owed a walkway of flowers. Some of it, though, is apt based connected politics, oregon pride, oregon jealousy, oregon rivalry, oregon ... capable successful the blank. At times, everything astir Clark seems similar a circus of contention.

While Clark herself has ne'er complained, galore of her fans comprehend -- and cognition rapidly becomes world -- that Clark isn't afloat invited successful the league.

In turn, neither are they.

Having the WNBA commissioner accidental Clark should beryllium grateful due to the fact that without the league she wouldn't marque "anything" conscionable confirms the suspicion. It besides plays connected an aged trope that women athletes should beryllium thankful conscionable for the accidental to play. Is this 1972?

The full happening is ridiculous, of course. Clark was doing nationalist endorsement campaigns portion inactive successful college. By her inferior season, she was much fashionable than immoderate WNBA player. She arrived rich.

Maybe Engelbert wasn't aware.

That the WNBA commissioner would person an sentiment connected who should beryllium grateful to whom, fto unsocial that she would unprofessionally explicit it to different progressive subordinate is astir unfathomable.

It's not Clark who should convey the WNBA for her endorsements. It's the league that should convey her for the roar successful business. It should number its blessings that she and the different young charismatic stars are gracing its league.

"I americium disheartened by however Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership," Engelbert said arsenic portion of a statement. "But adjacent erstwhile our perspectives differ, my committedness to the players and to this enactment volition not waver."

That isn't a denial of what Collier said Engelbert said. It besides doesn't code the main issue.

The implicit worst happening that could hap for the concern of women's hoops is for each the caller fans to deliberation the league not lone doesn't admit their fa...