rewrite this title Collier blasts WNBA’s Engelbert: ‘Worst leadership’

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasted WNBA leadership in her exit interview Tuesday, accusing league commissioner Cathy Engelbert of being “negligent” in her governance.

Collier said the league has failed to sufficiently address issues with officiating, compensation for players and the state of the overall product. She also alleged that Engelbert told her in a private conversation that superstar Caitlin Clark and other young standouts “should be on their knees” in gratitude for the platform the league has given them.

“Our leadership’s answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone’s voices by handing out fines,” Collier said. “I’m not concerned about a fine, I’m concerned about the future of our sport. At some point, everyone deserves to hear the truth from someone who I hope has earned the benefit of the doubt to fight for what is right and fair for our athletes and our fans.

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“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world. If I didn’t know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn’t feel this way, but unfortunately for them, I do. We serve a league that has shown they think championship coaches and Hall of Fame players are dispensable and that’s fine. It’s professional sports, but I will not stand quietly by and allow different standards to be applied at the league level.”

In a response Tuesday, Engelbert said she has the “utmost respect” for Collier but was “disheartened” by how her conversations with the Lynx star have been characterized.

“My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game,” the statement read. “I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”

Collier, who said the WNBA’s officiating lapses are a form of “self-sabotage” by the league, missed her team’s Game 4 loss and elimination against the Phoenix Mercury with an ankle injury she suffered following a controversial collision with Phoenix star Alyssa Thomas in Game 3. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected after arguing for a foul on the play and was subsequently suspended for Game 4 after she criticized the entire state of officiating in the league.

Collier has a unique role as both vice president of the WNBA Players Association and the co-founder of Unrivaled, a professional women’s basketball league, which was recently valued at $340 million and announced the signings of star players such as Paige Bueckers. The potential conflict of interest with Collier’s dual roles has been scrutinized during a critical time for the future of the league.

The league’s players are in a fiery battle with the WNBA as they attempt to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Collier’s words could add even more intensity to a conversation that could lead to a work stoppage in 2026 for players.

Collier said Tuesday that she wanted to publicize some of the private conversations she has had with Engelbert and other WNBA leaders in recent months as the two sides prepare to sit on opposite sides of the negotiation table this offseason. She said that Engelbert’s alleged words about Clark and other young players in the league in those private conversations were not appropriate from a WNBA commissioner. Engelbert allegedly told Collier that Clark should be “grateful” to the WNBA, since the commissioner claimed the league’s platform had helped the Indiana Fever star make money off the court.

“This past February, I sat across from [Engelbert] and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league,” Collier said. “Her response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs.’ I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like [Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league and are making so little for their first four years.

“Her response was, ‘[Clark] should be grateful. She makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.’ And in that same conversation, she told me, ‘Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.'”

On Tuesday, the league announced a multiyear media rights deal with USA Network, just as players across the league have demanded a greater share of the WNBA’s overall revenue.

Reeve said she wanted to focus on the “celebration” of the season and not the way Minnesota’s year ended. But she also said she supports players and praised Collier’s leadership.

“Obviously, [Collier’s] voice is a really important one,” said Reeve, who added that she doesn’t have any regrets about the way the season ended because “that’s not life.”

Had the Lynx held on to their double-digit lead against the Mercury in Game 4 and won Sunday, Collier said her ankle injury would have prevented her from participating in Game 5. But her focus Tuesday was not on the past, she said, but the future.

The WNBA star said she’s concerned about the next chapter for the WNBA, which currently allows its players to participate in Unrivaled during the offseason. Unrivaled recently signed a collection of talented players amid reports that the league made $30 million in revenue in its first season last year.

Collier also said she’s not worried about any consequences from her remarks.

“I’m sure they’ll fine me,” she said. “I mean, it seems like anything with free speech is fined now.”