“Was She the Villain…?” Cathy Engelbert Ejects Caitlin Clark Amid Season-Shaking WNBA Turmoil

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On a night that was supposed to celebrate women’s basketball, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Chicago Sky was already charged with intensity when Clark, the Iowa Hawkeyes star and a rising WNBA sensation, found herself at the center of a controversial call. As Clark argued with officials over a foul, Engelbert made the bold decision to intervene, ejecting her from the game in a move that stunned everyone in attendance.

“Caitlin’s actions were not in line with the values we uphold in the WNBA,” Engelbert stated in a post-game press conference. “We are committed to maintaining a level of professionalism and respect on the court, and we cannot allow the game to be overshadowed by conflict.”

The ejection not only shocked fans but also sent ripples through the league. Clark, known for her competitive spirit and fiery demeanor, has been a transformative figure in women’s basketball, drawing record crowds and media attention. Her sudden removal from the game raised eyebrows and ignited discussions about the treatment of star players and the standards expected of them.

The Fallout

Clark’s ejection quickly became the talk of social media. Fans took to platforms like Twitter and Instagram to voice their opinions, with hashtags like #FreeCaitlin and #EngelbertOut trending within hours. Supporters of Clark argued that her passion for the game should not be punished, while others defended Engelbert’s decision as necessary to protect the integrity of the sport.

“I think it was a harsh call,” said former WNBA player Lisa Leslie. “Caitlin is an emotional player, and that’s part of what makes her great. But I also understand the need for the league to maintain control and set an example.”

As the debate raged on, the WNBA faced mounting pressure to clarify its stance on player conduct and the enforcement of rules. Engelbert announced that a review of the incident would take place, emphasizing the league’s commitment to transparency and fairness.

A League at a Crossroads

The controversy surrounding Clark’s ejection comes at a critical time for the WNBA. The league has been making significant strides in recent years, gaining popularity and visibility that rivals many men’s sports leagues. However, with increased attention comes heightened scrutiny, and the recent events have highlighted the delicate balance between player freedom and league governance.

Analysts suggest that the WNBA is at a crossroads. As the league continues to grow, it must navigate the complexities of player personalities, fan expectations, and the overarching need for discipline. Engelbert’s decision to eject Clark may have been intended to send a message, but it also raises questions about the league’s approach to player management.

“Caitlin Clark is a superstar, and superstars often push boundaries,” noted sports journalist Rachel Nichols. “The WNBA needs to find a way to support its stars while also enforcing rules. It’s a tough line to walk.”

The Players’ Perspective

In the aftermath of the incident, several players voiced their thoughts on the matter. Many expressed solidarity with Clark, emphasizing the importance of allowing players to express themselves on the court. “We’re passionate about what we do, and sometimes that passion can lead to heated moments,” said Sky player Azura Stevens. “It’s part of the game, and it’s what makes it exciting for fans.”

Others pointed out that while emotions run high in competitive sports, there must be a level of accountability. “We all have to be responsible for our actions,” said Sparks guard Erica Wheeler. “But I also think we need to create an environment where players can be themselves without fear of being punished for showing emotion.”

What’s Next for the WNBA?

As the WNBA prepares for the next round of games, the league must address the fallout from Clark’s ejection. Engelbert has promised to work closely with players and coaches to ensure that everyone understands the rules and the consequences of their actions. “We want to create a culture of respect and professionalism,” she stated. “But we also want to celebrate the passion and talent of our players.”

The upcoming games will be closely watched, not only for the on-court action but also for how the league manages this controversy. Will Clark’s ejection serve as a turning point for the WNBA, prompting a reevaluation of player conduct policies? Or will it be seen as a one-off incident in a league that continues to grow and evolve?

Conclusion

The WNBA is facing a pivotal moment, and the decisions made in the coming weeks will shape the future of the league. As players like Caitlin Clark continue to push the boundaries of the game, the league must find a way to balance discipline with the excitement that comes from passionate play. The question remains: Was Engelbert’s decision to eject Clark justified, or will it be viewed as a misstep that could have lasting repercussions on the league’s image and its players?

In the end, the WNBA’s response to this turmoil will not only define its current season but may also set the tone for its future. As fans eagerly await the next chapter, one thing is clear: the spotlight is now firmly on the WNBA, and how it navigates this crisis could determine its trajectory for years to come.

SEE MORE: Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA could eclipse ‘a billion dollars’

The impact of the Indiana Fever star goes well beyond the basketball court. In her second season, Clark is also changing the league’s bottom line.

When the WNBA returned to action last week, Ryan Brewer, like many who follow the league, was curious to see how Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark might top her rookie-of-the-year season.

Yet the interest of Brewer, an associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus and an expert at valuations, goes beyond Clark’s box-score averages. After Clark’s phenomenal popularity spiked attendance and merchandise sales and drew historic television ratings wherever the Fever played in 2024, Brewer was asked by the Indianapolis Star to evaluate her economic impact on the WNBA. He determined Clark was responsible for a staggering 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity last season, including revenue from merchandise, ticket sales and television.

When Brewer crunched the numbers to analyze her potential impact in 2025, he arrived at a valuation that “is quite impressive,” Brewer said.

“If things just go as they were, and we have an expanded season of 22 home games with modest inflation, I’m looking at $875 [million],” Brewer told NBC News. “And I could easily see that eclipsing a billion dollars on the economic impact of Caitlin Clark this year.”

The WNBA’s 29th season opens at a time when its basketball is impossible to untangle from its bottom line. And Clark has played a propulsive role in both.

For the first time since 2008, the WNBA expanded this season to add a 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries. Next season, two more will debut in Toronto and Portland. As the WNBA’s footprint grows, so do its coffers. In 2026, the league will enter the first year of an 11-year media-rights deal worth a reported $2.2 billion overall that is expected to triple its current media-rights revenues. (One of the media partners is NBC, which shares a parent company with NBC News.)

Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark against the New York Liberty on July 6, 2024, in Indianapolis.Darron Cummings / AP file

Anticipating the arrival of the new media revenue, the players union opted out of its collective bargaining agreement with the league last October and will spend the upcoming months negotiating a new deal that the union hopes will lead to higher salaries.

Clark earned $76,535 as a rookie and this season will receive a slight pay raise, amounts dwarfed by her endorsement portfolio that reportedly includes an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike. It would be “impossible” to pay Clark what she is worth to the league, her agent told ESPN in February. That could be because although viewership across women’s sports was already on the rise by the time Clark emerged as a superstar at the University of Iowa, her popularity has supercharged the WNBA’s own.

While an average of 17,035 fans attended the Fever’s 20 home games — more than the city’s NBA team, which shares the same arena, averaged over 41 games — overall WNBA attendance increased from an average of 6,615 in 2023 to 9,807. Last season, as Fever games produced the most-watched WNBA games ever on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, CBS and NBA TV, leaguewide viewership also broke records, including an average of 1.2 million per ESPN broadcast.

The WNBA, as a private company, does not disclose revenue figures, a league spokesperson said. Yet the league reported last year that its merchandise sales through Dick’s Sporting Goods had increased by 233% over the previous season. A spokesperson for Fanatics, the WNBA’s official e-commerce partner, said that Clark ranks in the top 20 of its top-selling athletes across all sports, and sixth among all basketball players, including the NBA.

The rising tide associated with Clark continued to lift other boats: All WNBA merchandise sold by Fanatics increased by more than 500% last season versus 2023, the spokesperson added.

Clark’s effect shows few signs of abating in 2025. Earlier this month, 1.3 million viewers tuned in on ESPN to watch an Indiana preseason game played at Clark’s alma mater, Iowa — an audience that was bigger than all but two NBA preseason games on ESPN since 2010 (and both of those games included LeBron James), per Sports Business Journal.

Of this season’s 10 bestselling WNBA games on StubHub, all 10 involve the Fever, according to a spokesperson for the online ticket retailer. When the Fever are the visiting team, the average price of tickets sold jumps by 140%. And the average price of a ticket to catch Clark and Indiana on the road this year is $312, according to the company.

Clark is “not just driving demand for the Fever, she’s elevating interest across the entire league,” Adam Budelli, a StubHub spokesperson, said in a statement.

Last year, Sportico pegged the value of the Fever franchise at $90 million, slightly less than the estimated league average. Yet in Brewer’s analysis, the net effect of Clark’s presence drove his valuation of the Fever to closer to $340 million. Brewer also calculated that Clark’s presence, should the interest in her performances be maintained, would result in an economic impact of approximately $41 million to the city of Indianapolis.

Clark wasn’t the only rookie last season to draw significant interest to the league. Her rivalry with Chicago’s Angel Reese, dating to college, led an average of 2.5 million viewers to watch their May 17 matchup, the most ever for a WNBA game on ESPN. Yet as Brewer analyzed attendance and viewership figures from the 2024 season, these indicated that Clark’s influence was singularly responsible for the surge of new interest in the WNBA.

Of the 24 WNBA-related broadcasts that drew at least 1 million television viewers last season, 21 involved her, according to an analysis by Sports Media Watch that included the league’s draft and All-Star Game. All three WNBA games that drew more than 20,000 fans included the Fever.

“It’s important to recognize that there is this rival and there are other rivals, but Caitlin Clark is illuminating the sport,” Brewer said. “She particularly is the one who’s driving in a new kind of demographic that is reaching new kinds of people from the traditional WNBA fan base that is causing this growth rate and also accelerating interest in corporate sponsorships.”

To analyze her economic impact, Brewer in part created models that projected the WNBA’s attendance for last season based on the league’s growth in the years pre-Clark. He then compared it to the actual attendance change and found about 60% of that increase is attributable to Clark.

“Her ability to fill up stadiums is amazing,” he said.

And that interest has been felt strongly in Indianapolis, where a $78 million practice facility solely for the Fever is under construction.

In 2024, after Indiana drafted Clark No. 1, Visit Indy, a nonprofit that promotes tourism to the city, sprung into action. It placed paid advertising throughout Iowa, including on social media, to test whether Clark’s die-hard collegiate fans might have an appetite to make the trip to Indiana to watch her as a pro. Soon, visits to pages on Visit Indy’s website dedicated to the Fever increased by 501%, said Chris Gahl, Visit Indy’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Fever home games also corresponded with a bump in booked hotel rooms in the city, he said.

Part of Gahl’s job is to persuade those in charge of booking large, corporate meetings and conventions to host them in Indianapolis. Last year, he found a new way to entice nearly 50 planners to check out the city for the first time: Taking them to a Fever game.

The planners, who were predominantly women, “would not have traveled here and visited here were it not for the invitation for them to come see a home Fever game,” Gahl said.

“An Indiana Fever home game is a very hot ticket.”