Speaking ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday, Engelbert addressed the scathing accusations levied against her by Collier for the first time.
However, despite admitting that she was 'disheartened' by the player's sentiments, Engelbert appeared to double down as she denied, in particular, claims she made belittling remarks about
Caitlin Clark.
'Obviously I did not make those comments,' the 60-year-old insisted to reporters.
'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 to the game.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert fired back at the blistering criticism of her leadership
'[I'm] proud of what she's put on the court. Unfortunately, the injuries held her back from a full season this year.'
Yet, Engelbert once again denied making those remarks as she pivoted to the devastation of her children over the WNBA civil war.
'There's a lot of inaccuracy out there on social media and all this reporting,' Engelbert said.
'[...] I'm just obviously disheartened. You know, I'm a human, too. I have a family. I have two kids who are devastated by these comments. All I'll say is it's obviously been a tough week, and I just think there's a lot of inaccuracy out there.'
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier launched a blistering attack on Cathy Engelbert on Tuesday when she blasted the league for having 'the worst leadership in the world'.
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