Caitlin Clark makes her stance on leaving the WNBA better than when she played very clear after league commissioners Cathy Engelbert’s controversial comments regarding the star and the league

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Caitlin Clark made her thoughts on leaving the WNBA better than when she came in very clear(Image: YouTube: @Scott Agnes | Fieldhouse Files)

 

Caitlin Clark has made it clear she intends to remain in the WNBA and fight to make the league a better place as she left no doubt about what she thinks of Cathy Engelbert and the league’s future.

 

Since her time at Iowa, Clark has been one of the biggest faces in women’s basketball, often drawing crowds in the arenas she plays in.

 

This was evident when the Indiana Fever played the Sparks in Los Angeles, with a mass of people crowding her in hopes of getting a quick word in or to receive an autograph.

 

That said, the star guard only played in 13 games this season due to a handful of injuries.

 

Despite missing most of the 2025 campaign, Clark understood her impact goes beyond the court and highlighted her responsibility to grow the league for the next generation, a statement that comes after Napheesa Collier’s explosive comments from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

 

“We are in the biggest moment in WNBA history, there’s no denying that,” she said to reporters during the Fever’s exit interviews Thursday.

 

“Everybody knows that and everybody that’s in a place in power has a true responsibility, and even myself, we have a responsibility to make sure that this game is in a great place going forward with the CBA and caring for our players.

 

“Building this league to make sure it’s in a great spot for many years to come because you all know I grew up as a huge fan of this league and I’m going to do everything I can to make this the league that, a five-year-old, a 10-year-old, a 15-year-old, a girl in college is really proud of to come into and to be able to put a WNBA uniform on.”

 

“That’s what they dream of and then hopefully they can accomplish that goal because that’s exactly who I was and that’s really at the end of the day.

 

I hope that’s what my legacy can be – it’s just how I impacted that impacted people to be able to maybe want to be in the WNBA but to really just achieve whatever they want to achieve.”

 

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Despite Caitlin Clark only playing in 13 games this season, her impact was on full display(Image: Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

 

Her comments come in the same exit interview where she expressed her support for Collier after the Minnesota Lynx star had a four-minute speech to dissect the job Engelbert had done in protecting the players and to help the league grow.

 

And her comments on her lifelong fandom and passion for the WNBA comes while some have suggested she could front a rival league should the current problems continue.

 

After initially remaining mum on the star forward’s comments, which included Engelbert reportedly telling Collier that Clark had the WNBA to thank for her success, the 23-year-old star guard made her thoughts known when speaking to reporters Thursday.

 

“We need great leadership at this time across all levels… this is the most important time in this league’s history… Phee said it all,” Clark said.

 

Clark earned $78,066 this season and $76,535 in her rookie year as part of the four-year, $338,056 rookie-scale contract she signed with the Fever upon being drafted.

 

That said, it was reported that the star earned $16 million off endorsements alone, which is what Collier noted, leading Engelbert to fire back.