Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has strongly criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, calling her decision to withdraw from a scheduled radio interview an "absolute coward move." The cancellation occurred in the wake of a controversial incident involving WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

Portnoy, a vocal supporter of Clark, expressed his frustration on social media platform X, stating that Engelbert's reliance on advice from the WNBA's PR team to back out of the interview was unacceptable. "This is one of my biggest pet peeves in the world. When people like @Cathy Engelbert say they can’t do something because their agent or PR said so. THEY WORK FOR YOU. Absolute coward move," Portnoy wrote.

The WNBA has faced renewed scrutiny following an incident where Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury player Alyssa Thomas. Following this event, Commissioner Engelbert was slated to appear on "The Dan Patrick Show." Host Dan Patrick reported that the interview was canceled at the last minute on the advice of the WNBA's public relations staff.

Patrick stated that he and his producers waited for nearly two hours for Engelbert, who was reportedly in the Lake Tahoe, Nevada area for the American Century Championship golf tournament, where the show is recorded. According to Patrick, the WNBA's PR team advised against the interview, leading to its cancellation.

"I thought this was going to be a good thing for the WNBA because people still want answers here," Patrick said, expressing his disappointment. He suggested that tough questions would have been asked but were questions the commissioner should be prepared to address if the league aims to be taken seriously among top U.S. sports leagues.

The controversy surrounding Clark has intensified, with some critics arguing that the league has failed to adequately protect the star player. This sentiment was echoed by a group of 11 Republican lawmakers who sent a letter to Engelbert demanding accountability for what they described as "multiple attacks" on Clark.

Portnoy concluded his remarks by labeling the WNBA as a "clown show" and "the worst run league in the world," further highlighting the discontent surrounding the league's management and its handling of recent events.```jsonjson {<br>