Cathy Engelbert to WNBA players: I 'missed the mark' in interview - ESPN

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert promised players Friday that she and the league will show leadership in fighting against abusive discourse players experience on social media.

Engelbert also apologized to the players for an interview she gave Monday on CNBC in which she focused on the popularity of rivalries but did not condemn the abusive rhetoric players have faced.

«I was asked a question about WNBA rivalries and the dark side of social media and race, and simply put, my answer missed the mark and I'm sorry,» Engelbert wrote to the players in a letter obtained by ESPN. «I regret that I didn't express, in a clear and definitive way, condemnation of the hateful speech that is all too often directed at WNBA players on social media.»

The letter, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was sent to all the WNBA players. Engelbert also had conversations with some players, a league source told ESPN.

Engelbert was asked on CNBC's «Power Lunch» on Monday about the «more menacing» tone taken by some fan bases on social media, especially when race or sexuality is brought up. Engelbert focused instead on high-profile rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, and how rivalries build fan interest.

WNBA players reacted on social media and in interviews with disappointment and frustration about Engelbert not speaking out directly against abusive language. Women's National Basketball Players Association executive director Terri Jackson released a statement Tuesday saying Engelbert failed to condemn the «racism, misogyny, and harassment» players have experienced.

Jackson has told ESPN that the players' association felt because the league had not sent a message in trying to set the tone for fan