Sophie Cunningham Defends Caitlin Clark, Calls WNBA's Cathy Engelbert 'Delusional'

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham called Cathy Engelbert "delusional" after the WNBA commissioner purportedly downplayed the level of Caitlin Clark's star power before she entered the league.

In an Instagram comment Tuesday, Cunningham countered that "people only know Cathy because of [Clark]," adding that Engelbert is "the most delusional leader our league has seen."

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier sent shockwaves across the WNBA when she read a prepared statement Tuesday during her exit interview.

Beyond outlining her grievances with the league amid negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, Collier recounted conversations she said she had with Engelbert this past February. The five-time All-Star pressed the commissioner on the low salaries for rookies coming into the league, which pale in comparison to the impact notable first-year players such as Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese can have.

Engelbert purportedly said that Clark "should be grateful" because "she wouldn't make anything" without the spotlight the WNBA provides.

Simply put, that doesn't reflect reality.

Clark became a national star during her junior year at Iowa, and her popularity only grew as the Hawkeyes were NCAA tournament runners-up once again in her senior campaign.

Thanks to the dawn of the NIL era, the dynamic guard could parlay all of that attention into cold hard cash. On3 Sports estimated she had a final valuation of $3.4 million and boasted a portfolio that included deals with Nike, Gatorade and State Farm.

The WNBA proceeded to set attendance and viewership records during Clark's rookie season in 2024. While she wasn't solely responsible for that — the league saw big increases in 2023 as well — there's no question she brought in a lot of new fans.

And that probably would've been the case with any other basketball league in the world. There's a reason BIG3 was prepared to give her a $5 million contract.

At times, the attention paid to Clark can take away from all of the work other players did to propel the WNBA forward. But her status undoubtedly lifted the league's bottom line, not the other way around.