One might think that jamming your fist into the neck of an opponent while she is on the ground and trying to knee her in the groin, especially if the victim is the league’s biggest star, would earn you an automatic suspension.
Well, one would be wrong to think that.
According to a report from Sports Business Journal (SBJ), WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert did not initially plan to suspend Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas for her brazen attack on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark weeks ago.
Instead, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had to convince her to do it.
According to SBJ, because Thomas was not issued a foul during the game, something worthy of investigation and discipline in and of itself, Engelbert was loath to punish her after, even though the rules give her and the league the flexibility to institute or upgrade penalties and discipline upon review after the fact.
Silver countered, pointing out that “there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul, that he felt badly for Clark and told Engelbert she had to act.”
Only then did Engelbert issue a one-game suspension for Thomas and called the penalty a Flagrant 2, which also brought a $1,000 fine.
The revelation of her resistance to disciplining players for vicious attacks on the WNBA’s only star is just the latest exhibit in what has become a series of errors revealing Engelbert’s rank incompetence.
Last week, Engelbert earned criticism from fans and media alike for ducking out of an interview with sports talk radio host Dan Patrick.
“If you want to be treated as a serious league, this is what happens!” Patrick said. “These are tough questions, but this is a fair outlet for you — a fair platform. I will treat you with respect.”
Patrick later revealed that it was the WNBA PR staff that told Engelbert not to do the interview. However, the PR staff works for her.
“We waited, and we waited, and we waited (for Engelbert),” Patrick said. “And then we got word… that the commissioner said that the WNBA staff, the PR staff, said that she is not allowed to do this. They would prefer that she did not do this.”
Engelbert is in the final year of her contract as WNBA commissioner.