Latest news with #Engelbert
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Judge dismisses Dearica Hamby's lawsuit against WNBA, continues claim against Aces
LAS VEGAS — A federal judge last week dismissed Sparks forward Dearica Hamby's lawsuit against the WNBA, but said her litigation against the Las Vegas Aces over alleged mistreatment because of her pregnancy could continue. Hamby filed the suit in August that alleged the Aces discriminated and retaliated against her, resulting in her January 2023 trade to the Sparks. The league and club filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit in September. U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon wrote in his ruling that Hamby failed to prove her allegations the WNBA failed to properly investigate her claims against the Aces and didn't renew her league marketing contract. He dismissed those claims with prejudice. A league spokesman referred to previous comments on the subject by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert last August to ABC's 'Good Morning America.' 'We'll obviously review this,' Engelbert said. The judge determined Hamby proved enough to move forward with her discrimination claim against the Aces and partially with her retaliation allegations. Hamby, an All-Star three of the past four seasons, averaged career highs of 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds last season. She was a two-time WNBA Sixth Player of the Year for the Aces. The Aces remain under investigation by the WNBA regarding a two-year sponsorship deal offered by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in which each player receives $25,000 per month and up to $100,000 per season. Engelbert said at last month's draft that it's a time-consuming process handled by an outside law firm. 'I think there's a lot of document requests and things like that, so it takes time,' Engelbert said. 'Nothing to report at this time.' Anderson writes for the Associated Press.
Fox Sports
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert: Caitlin Clark 'most popular athlete in America'
Indiana Fever and former Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark took the WNBA by storm in her rookie season, and nobody sees that more than the commissioner of the sport. Saying that Clark is "the most popular athlete in America," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert explained her perspective on Clark's quick impact on the sport. "It is a balance, but she's a generational talent. No league is ever about one player, but in this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W. And there's no denying that impact," Engelbert said on Thursday's edition of "The Bill Simmons Podcast." "You want to balance making sure that you're also promoting your other stars, like an A'ja WIlson, like a Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier … that's why this year is sustain and gain. Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even more new viewers." In her rookie season (2024), Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, averaged 19.2 points, a WNBA-high 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 41.7/34.4/90.6, helping the Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Granted, they were swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun. Clark earned an All-Star nod, both All-Rookie and All-WNBA honors and claimed the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award; she also finished fourth in MVP voting. Next season, Clark and the Fever have 41 of their 44 scheduled regular-season games in a prime-time slot, which is a WNBA record. They open the 2025 season at home against the Chicago Sky on Saturday. As for the other players whom Engelbert mentioned, Wilson is a three-time MVP and two-time WNBA champion; Stewart is a two-time MVP and three-time WNBA champion; Collier is a four-time All-Star and the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Engelbert has been WNBA Commissioner since July 2019. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Women's National Basketball Association Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark Get more from Women's National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA commissioner calls Caitlin Clark ‘most popular athlete in America,' talks schedule expansion
Caitlin Clark didn't just bring new fans to women's basketball, she introduced new viewers to the world of sports, WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said during an interview on 'The Bill Simmons Podcast.' '(NBA commissioner) Adam (Silver) and I talk all the time about this; she's the most popular athlete in America,' Engelbert said. Advertisement With the second season of the WNBA's Caitlin Clark era set to tip off Friday night, the reigning Rookie of the Year remains the talk of the league despite Clark and the Indiana Fever not playing until Saturday. The league is brimming with other marketable stars such as 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, who will be making her WNBA debut Friday, and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson, who had a signature shoe released with Nike. And while that's a good problem for the league to have, Engelbert stressed the importance of showcasing the league's other standout players, while also leaning into the Clark phenomenon. 'It is a balance, but she's a generational talent,' Engelbert said. 'No league is ever about one player, but in this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W. And there's no denying that impact. 'You want to balance making sure that you're also promoting your other stars like an A'ja WIlson, like a Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier … That's why this year is sustain and gain. Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even more new viewers.' Advertisement Englebert and the league are leaning even more into the Clark momentum by broadcasting 41 of the Fever's 44 games on national TV. This is an unprecedented showcase for a league that just expanded from 36 games to 40 games in 2023 and now from 40 to 44 in 2025. And that expansion may not be complete. 'I can definitely see us going to 50 (games),' Englebert said. But lengthening the WNBA's summer schedule is complicated. On the front end, the league needs a buffer after the NCAA season for its rookies — Bueckers was drafted by the Dallas Wings just eight days after UConn won the NCAA title on April 6. And on the back end, lengthening the schedule means competing with the heart of college football and NFL season — the 2024 WNBA Finals wrapped on Oct. 20. Advertisement 'You can't move it too much forward if you want the rookies to come in, which we do because it's a great, it's a great theater system for us,' she said. 'So we'll look at the back end and how far can we go and how many NFL and college football Saturdays can we go into and we'll evaluate all that under the CBA.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Indiana Fever, WNBA, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA commissioner calls Caitlin Clark 'the most popular athlete in America,' but stresses value of other players
With the WNBA regular season nearly here, it's likely to be another big season for second-year Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark — and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is very aware of what Clark brings to the league. In an interview on the Bill Simmons Podcast released on Wednesday, Engelbert recognized Clark's elevated role in the W, calling her a "generational talent." But Engelbert also noted that there's a balance between highlighting Clark and promoting other talented players in the league. Advertisement "No league's ever got one player," Engelbert said. "In this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W and there's no denying that impact — not just in the WNBA, but the world of sports." Engelbert mentioned an LPGA pro-am that Clark had attended as an example, speaking on how her popularity in college fueled her prevalence now, and adding that she had spoken to NBA commissioner Adam Silver about Clark's prominence. Engelbert said that viewership was up "triple digits" across demographics, and that the presence of players like Clark heavily contributed to that growth. "Adam and I talk all the time about this, she's the most popular athlete in America," Engelbert said. With that said, Engelbert said that it was important to showcase the other talents in the WNBA, and not to put all of the league's eggs in one basket. "You do want to balance it, because obviously, we saw what happened with JuJu Watkins getting hurt," Engelbert said, referencing the USC star's ACL tear during March Madness. "You want to balance making sure that you're also promoting your other stars, like an A'ja WIlson, like a Breanna Stewart. Napheesa Collier killed it last year. "That's why this year is 'sustain and gain,'" Engelbert added. "Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even more new viewers." Advertisement Engelbert noted that the WNBA has a unique pipeline of talented college players with pre-existing fanbases, something that has changed with the rise of social media and name, image and likeness deals. "We had great players for a couple decades, but now, I think with social media, with NIL, with them having brands when they come in and followership, and just the quality of the game, I can't say enough about that," Engelbert said when speaking on a rise in viewership across the league. Engelbert also mentioned Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and Kiki Iriafen as other exciting new players in the league. Advertisement "Brands get to know them, fans get to know them, and they come out and they thrive in the W. As hard as and as competitive as the W is, they not only have a local and regional brand, like they have in college, but they actually have a national and now a global brand," she said. The WNBA regular season tips off on Friday with a matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and the Dallas Wings. Clark's Fever will play their first game of the 2025 season on Saturday.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commissioner Doesn't Hold Back on Caitlin Clark vs. Other WNBA Stars
There's no denying the impact Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has had on women's basketball, let alone the WNBA. She's brought unprecedented attention to the league, helping regular-season TV ratings jump 170% from 2023 to 2024, along with a 48% increase in attendance. In her rookie season, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, earning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, and a top-five finish in MVP voting. Advertisement Clark is now entering her second season in the WNBA, and the league looks to continue to capitalize on its momentum from just a year ago. On Thursday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared as a guest on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," where she discussed Clark's growing impact on the league, as well as the WNBA's goal of promoting not only Clark but all of its stars. "It is a balance, but she's a generational talent," Engelbert said. "No league's ever about one player, but in this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W, and there's no denying that impact." Engelbert went on to highlight other WNBA stars like Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, while also mentioning college basketball standout and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins. Advertisement "She (Clark) just turned 23, so she is hugely popular, but again, you do want to balance it, because obviously you saw what happened with Juju Waktins, getting hurt," Engelbert added. "You want to balance making sure that you're also promoting your other stars, like an A'ja Wilson, like a Brianna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, killed it last year. I mean, she was the runner-up, MVP, and the defensive player of the year…" Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the 2024 Penner Engelbert discussed the WNBA's goal to "sustain and gain." "Yeah, so I think, again, that's why this year, sustain and gain," Engelbert stated. "Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even new viewers, because if you look at, I mean, we were up triple digits in every category, in every demographic, and young people, old people, young girls and boys were having watch parties and watching our games, so it was incredible." Advertisement The WNBA regular season will tip off on Friday night, with Clark and her Fever playing their first game on Saturday. Related: ESPN Commentator Ryan Ruocco Takes Stand on Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese 'Rivalry' Related: NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Makes Strong Caitlin Clark Statement
