Cathy Engelbert did not receive a warm welcome in Phoenix on Friday night.
The WNBA commissioner hit the court to deliver the Finals trophy to the Las Vegas Aces, but she was promptly met with boos.
One attendee in the crowd was even spotted giving the middle finger while Engelbert spoke to congratulate the Aces.
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“Well, we’re here today to celebrate a champion. Thank you to all the fans. Phoenix had a great run to get here, and I just want to congratulate the Aces on a performance, 2025 WNBA champions,” Engelbert said amid continuous boos.
The Aces, despite completing the sweep for their third title in four years, appeared visibly uncomfortable, and Finals MVP A’ja Wilson showed a look of concern.
Engelbert has received a ton of backlash recently, as the commissioner allegedly made dismissive and patronizing remarks about player concerns. Napheesa Collier also claimed Engelbert said that Caitlin Clark “should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
Collier also alleged Engelbert told her, “Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”
“When you have great players, you need to treat them like that, and that’s top to bottom,” Aces point guard Chelsea Gray said after the game.
WNBA NEEDS CAITLIN CLARK MORE THAN SHE NEEDS THE LEAGUE, LONGTIME SPORTSCASTER DAN PATRICK SAYS
Wilson shared her displeasure with Engelbert earlier this month, saying she was “disgusted” with Engelbert’s comments. Wilson played a tambourine in celebration of Gray’s comments on Friday.
While addressing the alleged comments about Clark, Engelbert denied making them.
“Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game,” Engelbert said at a news conference last week.
Clark said the league is in a “moment we have to capitalize on.”
“I think for me, and I have said this many times, it is all about relationships, and that’s the truth,” Clark said last week. “And I know that’s really hard to say in professional sports. But whether it’s a relationship with your front office, whether it’s a relationship with the commissioner of the league, whether it’s your relationship with your teammates – that’s the most important thing in leadership.”
The WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement ends on Oct. 31.
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