WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert bailing on a Dan Patrick interview amid a number of WNBA controversies has landed the league leader in hot water.
Patrick blasted Engelbert for scheduling an interview on his program and then backing out at the behest of the league’s public relations team. To Patrick, avoiding the interview at the last minute was a sign that she’s not ready to face serious questions from journalists in her job running the WNBA.
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“You’re the commissioner, and you’re listening to the PR department, which is fine, but did you check with PR before you said yes to us? We promoted it all day [Thursday],” Patrick said in his comments. “Look, I get people get busy. People have agendas. … It was her opportunity for her to finally say, ‘Hey, you can ask me the tough questions.’ I thought this was going to be a good thing for the WNBA because people still want answers here.”
The clip included some brutal B-roll of Engelbert golfing (and struggling with her shot) during this week’s American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, where Patrick is doing live broadcasts.
“She’s 50 yards away,” Patrick said of Engelbert. “She’s hitting practice shots out of the bunker… We deserve more respect than what she gave us [on Thursday].”
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This is yet another awful look for Engelbert, who has struggled mightily in public reception as the WNBA has grown in esteem and viewership. She’s just not doing herself any favors for how she’s managing the league right now.
Honestly, Patrick is preaching with this. Engelbert has to do interviews, particularly with established media personalities like Patrick who you know will be more than fair in his line of questioning.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dan Patrick blasts WNBA commish for bailing on interview at last minute
