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Longtime sports commentator Dan Patrick says the WNBA turned on Caitlin Clark amid contentious collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier revealed that in a private conversation she had with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Engelbert said Clark should be grateful that the league gave her the platform to earn $16 million off the court.
Patrick said the WNBA needs Caitlin Clark more than the WNBA.
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Indiana Fever goalie Caitlin Clark (22) walks on the floor before a game against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on September 2, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
“Are they going to make $300,000? Maybe someday, but Caitlin Clark shouldn’t make $78,000 a year and then be grateful that she can make $16 million off the court. The WNBA needs Caitlin Clark; Caitlin Clark doesn’t need the WNBA,” Patrick said during a recent appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.”
“It seems like the WNBA has turned on Caitlin Clark. Now they’re turning to Caitlin Clark to say, ‘Hey, you know what, we need her. Hey, in this private conversation I had with the commissioner, the commissioner said Caitlin should be grateful. Everyone should take a knee because of the amount of money.'”
Patrick said negotiations between the WNBA and players were getting “dirty.”
The 69-year-old said he was “a little surprised” that Engelbert brought up Clark in his conversation with Collier, because Clark and Collier share the same agent.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark signs autographs before Game 3 of a WNBA basketball semifinal series against the Las Vegas Aces in Indianapolis, September 26, 2025. (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)
Engelbert denied making the comments about Clark during a news conference last week.
“Obviously, I didn’t 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,” Engelbert said.
Patrick called Engelbert a brilliant woman and highlighted some of the positive things she did.
“This commissioner has done some positive things. They have five new expansion teams coming in, they got a television contract, so there’s some positive in that,” Patrick said.
Pressure on Engelbert increased as the negotiations became more contentious.
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, right, holds the Lombardi Trophy with commentator Dan Patrick, left, after the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 4, 2018. (Focus on sport/Getty Images)
The players’ association and the WNBA agreed to an eight-year deal in 2020, but last year the WNBPA voted to opt out of the deal early.
The current agreement is set to expire on October 31.
Patrick worked for ESPN from 1989 to 2006, then for NBC Sports in 2008 and remained there until 2018. He now hosts “The Dan Patrick Show.” Patrick’s full interview with Dakich will air on OutKick Friday.
