Overview
- Dan Patrick said Engelbert agreed to a scheduled interview at the American Century Championship but pulled out after his team waited nearly two hours for her to appear on Thursday.
- Patrick and producers say the WNBA’s public relations staff advised Engelbert not to do the sit‑down, and the show aired footage of Engelbert taking practice shots on the course while the interview was promoted.
- Patrick had planned to ask about recent hard contact to Caitlin Clark, league expansion and discipline; he described the planned questions as tough but fair and said the cancellation was a missed chance to explain the league’s actions.
- The interview cancellation comes on top of the June 24 play in which Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas struck Clark and was later suspended for one game after league review, a dispute that also produced conflicting accounts about whether Engelbert directly contacted Thomas and prompted public threats against players.
- The episode has reignited media criticism and political pressure, including a letter from Republican lawmakers, and it raises the prospect of further reputational fallout unless Engelbert offers a sustained, public explanation.