Rivalry is one thing.
Racism, bigotry, misogyny, and hate speech are all others. Surely WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert knows the difference, right?
So one would think of the leader of the most progressive sports league in the world. However, on Monday, she conflated rivalry with the online harassment players are experiencing in a response to a question that was very directly about the latter. In an appearance on CNBC's "Power Lunch," Engelbert was asked by anchor Tyler Mathisen about the "darker, more menacing" tone taken by "fans" on social media, more specifically, the rise in racist and homophobic comments towards players.
"How do you try and stay ahead of that, try and tamp it down or act as a league when two of your most visible players [Reese and Clark] are involved — not personally, it would seem, but their fan bases are involved in saying some very uncharitable things about the other?" Mathisen posed to Engelbert.
What followed was a response that entirely ignored a chance to express support for players who feel unprotected in online discourse.
"WNBA players are really looked at now as cultural icons," Engelbert said. "When you have that, you have a lot of attention on you. There's no more apathy. Everybody cares. It is a little of that Bird-Magic moment, if you recall from 1979, when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one black. So we have that moment with these two."
One significant difference in the comparison that continues to be drawn between Reese and Clark and Johnson and Bird — including by Johnson himself — is the role social media plays in fanning the flames of racism and hate speech. Engelbert acknowledged that social media didn't exist during Johnson and Bird's rivalry.
"Social media is different today than it was in 1979 when it didn't exist," Engelbert said. "I always tell the players, if someone's typing something in and you wouldn't ask their advice, ignore it."
What profound advice. It's a lovely idea for a league of predominately Black and queer women to simply ignore the disturbing messages that flood their phones daily. One I bet players haven't tried yet. Engelbert doesn't seem to grasp the unrelenting fact that it's not that simple or even possible for players to merely ignore the harassment.
Reese has, going back to her college days at LSU, spoken at length about the mental difficulties of enduring constant online harassment. In her rookie season with the Sky, she's noted to the media that she has disconnected from her social media accounts on more than one occasion.
Clark has made similar comments.
Reese and Clark are often commended for their ability to shoulder such heavy loads. Ones that include intense online scrutiny, hate and racism. But at what point do we acknowledge it's not honorable to be able to withstand mental anguish at 22 years old? At any age, for that matter.
Engelbert had that opportunity on Monday and settled on celebrating the league's growth — which lately has come at the expense of the players' mental well-being.
"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," WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson wrote in a statement. "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."
Across the league on Tuesday, players reacted to Engelbert's interview sharing their disapproval of her comments.
I stand against all forms of discrimination, hatred, and bias, especially in reference to sports. The intersection of racism and sports should always be rejected. No platform is too big or too small to stand for the right thing. No excuses.
— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) September 10, 2024
"I stand against all forms of discrimination, hatred, and bias, especially in reference to sports," Sky forward Brianna Turner said on X. "The intersection of racism and sports should always be rejected. No platform is too big or too small to stand for the right thing. No excuses."
"I saw the interview today," two-time MVP Breanna Stewart said on Tuesday. "I've been in talks with Terri and the WNBPA. It's kind of disappointing to hear because the way that the fans have surged, especially behind Caitlin and Angel coming into this league, but also bringing a race aspect to a different level. There's no place for that in our sport. That's really it. We want our sport to be inclusive for race, gender, and really a place where people can be themselves. We wish Cathy would use her platform in a different way."
Reese, who was in Los Angeles to have surgery to repair a broken left wrist, shared a statement on social media in support of Jackson.
By Tuesday night, Engelbert had made another statement this one coming via social media at 10:36 pm.
"During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race," Engelbert posted on X. "To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else."
Similar to her interview, it entirely missed the mark.
