Sep 14, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks to the locker room against the Atlanta Dream at halftime during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cathy Engelbert's Caitlin Clark Pocket Watching Resurfaces Amid Money Comment Denial

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The women's basketball community is still buzzing about what WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said to address Napheesa Collier's scathing claims earlier this week.

When Engelbert was asked point blank whether she said, "Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything," which is what Collier claimed she had said to her when the two spoke earlier this year, Engelbert responded, "Obviously, I did not make those comments."

She went on to add, "Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She has been a great representative of the game; she has brought tens of millions of new fans. Proud of what she's putting on the court. Unfortunately, the injuries held her back from a full season this year."

While Engelbert is clearly stating her innocence regarding these alleged comments about the amount of money Clark is making, she has certainly spoken about the Indiana Fever's pockets in the past.

Cathy Engelbert's Past Caitlin Clark Salary Comments Raise Eyebrows

In the wake of Engelbert's denial, X user @nosyone4 went viral for reposting a clip of Engelbert commenting on Clark's salary during a May 2024 appearance at the CNBC Changemakers event in New York City.

In the clip, Engelbert said, “No CEO, do you just put their base pay in there. You put their bonus, you put their stock options, you put everything. Caitlin has the ability to make up to a half-million dollars just in WNBA wages this year.

"So, of course, they’re just looking at a base, which is collectively bargained (and actually, it’s low, because she’s the No. 1 pick, she’ll make a little more than that). She also has millions and millions of dollars of endorsements. Because she declared to become pro, her endorsements are higher in dollar value, she has a global platform now, not just a US platform," Engelbert continued.

"So she’s going to do just fine; as will the top players in the league, as every league does,” Engelbert said before noting that WNBA player salaries can't compare to those of the NBA because the NBA is a much more established league that has been around much, much longer than the WNBA.

cathy has pretty much said everything publicly already. last year she claimed caitlin was actually making $500k from the wnba and said she was able to get more money from endorsements because of the wnba platform pic.twitter.com/eVGQMl1QRS
— correlation (@nosyone4) October 4, 2025

While Engelbert wasn't criticized for these comments when she made them, they're now being cast under a whole new light — especially if Collier can prove that Engelbert did indeed say what Collier claims she did.

This article first appeared on Women's Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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