The WNBA continues to face criticism from sports outlets over officiating, player conduct and everything in-between. This week, former ESPN anchor Sage Steele weighed in and asserted that leadership is to blame for the WNBA's continued troubles.
Appearing on Finnerty, Steele addressed the controversial foul issue from this past weekend where Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was handed a flagrant 2 for striking Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham at the head and neck area. Steele said that the call on the court was correct.
"That was a flagrant 2, which means intentional, which means automatic ejection," Steele said. "The right call was made."
But she took issue with Fever coach Stephanie White failing to defend Cunningham more emphatically after the game.
"The coach always defends their player," Steele said. "So it's just insane, especially right now with all that's going on."
Failure of Leadership?
Steele then lamented that the controversy between Carrington and Cunningham is overshadowing the tremendous growth that the league is enjoying. She believes that falls on the leadership with longtime WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
"When you have a high level of basketball being played, then you continue to bring it down with things like this," Steele said. "This is terrible leadership,"
Steele suggested that Engelbert and other league officials are taking a more hands off approach out of "fear of offending a whole litany of people."
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There are certainly a lot of people to blame for the WNBA not quite reaching the heights that it's capable of reaching. But for the most part, the league seems to be enjoying enough growth to sustain itself for a good, long while.
Engelbert might be on borrowed time as commissioner anyway with conflicting reports over her future in the position.
But it's very likely that the league won't be that much different with its next commissioner, whether that's next year or next decade.
