NEW YORK — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the online vitriol players face is “unacceptable” as she spoke at an event on Thursday evening.As a panelist at the CNBC/Boardroom Game Plan event alongside three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi and Kristyn Cook, executive vice president and chief agency of sales and marketing at State Farm, Engelbert was asked how the league can grow the game while limiting toxicity. She said the conversations around the WNBA are like a “microcosm in a broader society.”“The vitriol and everything that our players receive, and I’m sure Diana (Taurasi) can remember this, is unacceptable,” Engelbert said. “But there’s so much good in the game.”Engelbert went on to discuss the record-breaking rookie season Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles is having and the 53-point performance Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey had against the Los Angeles Sparks in June.But amid those “incredible stories,” players have spoken about a lack of support they feel from the league as they navigate racism, harassment and even death threats online. Phoenix Mercury veteran Alyssa Thomas recently criticized Engelbert’s engagement on this issue after Thomas said she received online abuse following a controversial foul against Caitlin Clark and received a one-game suspension.