If you thought Caitlin Clark’s rookie season was wild, buckle up. Things just got a whole lot messy for her.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has doubled down on her stance as the league balances record-breaking growth with rising tension, and yes, Clark is right in the middle of it. From jersey sales to All-Star snubs, to a groin injury and even protests at center court, the 23-year-old Indiana Fever star can’t seem to catch a break. And now, Engelbert’s latest comments clarified that the league’s not going to build itself around just one player, no matter how famous she is.

“No league ever made themselves on one player,” Engelbert told Daily Mail. “Even in the Bird-Magic era, the Michael Jordan era—you have to build around all of your stars.”

Clark’s face has been everywhere this season, from commercials to fan merch, and her presence has sent WNBA ticket sales, viewership, and media coverage through the roof. But as the spotlight grows, so does the heat.

During All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, Clark joined other stars in a silent protest wearing shirts that read, Pay Us What You Owe Us. The message was loud. The crowd responded with chants of Pay Them! Directed squarely at Engelbert, who still believes a “transformational” CBA deal is coming.

“We’ve been preparing for this growth,” Engelbert said. “If you build it, they will come—and they did.”

But that rise hasn’t come without bruises. Literally. Clark has taken hits on the court, some subtle, others not. Chennedy Carter, Angel Reese, and Kelsey Plum have all found themselves wrapped into incidents or headlines involving the No. 1 pick. Some fans cry foul. Others call it basketball.

Engelbert didn’t back away. “Everyone’s getting bumped. It’s a physical league,” she said. “Caitlin has handled it great.”

Still, Clark has missed 13 games already this season due to injury. Her brother even blamed the refs for her latest setback in a now-deleted post. The noise around her doesn’t seem to fade, and that’s exactly why Engelbert is trying to shift the conversation.

“We’ve built household names,” she said, listing A’ja Wilson, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi. “You can never build it around one.”

So, for now, Clark stays at the center of the storm. But the league? It’s moving forward, global expansion, new teams, and a growing wave of attention. Whether Clark rides that wave or gets crushed by it remains to be seen.

Also Read: Angel Reese Gets Hit With Another Harsh Reality In Her Rivalry With Caitlin Clark