One of the league’s biggest stars just went scorched earth.
Minnesota Lynx forward and five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier blasted WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league office on Tuesday.
In Minneapolis, Collier delivered a two-page statement ripping the league’s officiating, Engelbert, and the WNBA’s approach to CBA talks.
The Lynx were upset in the semifinals by the Phoenix Mercury in four games, with Collier forced to watch from the bench. The 2025 WNBA MVP runner-up missed Game 4 after injuring her ankle in the final seconds of Game 3 on a controversial no-call.
Collier is the Women’s National Basketball Players Association vice president, so she is well informed on nearly every issue facing the league and its players.
And she finally decided not to hold her tongue.
“Thank you all for your time today, I have prepared a statement that I would like to make before taking any questions,” Collier said.
“First of all, I’d like to congratulate the Mercury for advancing to the Finals. I want to be clear this conversation is not about winning or losing, it’s about something much bigger.
“The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office.
“Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity with which it operates.
“Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders. The league has a buzzword that they rolled out as a talking point for the CBA as to why they can’t pay the players what we’re worth; that word is sustainability.
“But what’s truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games. Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pre- and post-game media. And leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging them to fix. That is negligence.
“At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league. Her response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs.’
“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.’
“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.’ That’s the mentality driving our league from the top. We go to battle every day to protect a shield that doesn’t value us. The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them.
“I have the privilege of watching my husband run a league where he has to balance 100 different things at once. I won’t pretend the job is easy, but even with all of that on his plate, he always reaches out to players when he sees an injury, whether it’s Unrivaled or even during the WNBA season.
“That is what leadership looks like. It’s the human element, it’s basic integrity, and it’s the bare minimum any leader should embody. But do you know who I haven’t heard from? Cathy. Not one call, not one text. Instead the only outreach has come from her No. 2 telling my agent that she doesn’t believe physical play is contributing to injuries.
“That is infuriating. And it’s the perfect example of the tone deaf, dismissive approach that our leaders always seem to take. I’ve finally grown tired. For too long, I’ve tried to have these conversations in private, but it’s clear there’s no intention of accepting there’s a problem.
“The league has made it clear it isn’t about innovation, it isn’t about collaboration, it’s about control and power. I’ve earned this platform and I paid the price to get here, and now I have a responsibility to speak on behalf of the fans and everyone in this league that deserves better.
“Our leadership’s answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone’s voices by handing out fines. I’m not concerned about a fine. I’m concerned about the future of our sport.
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“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. 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.”
Caitlin Clark declined to comment, per the Fever but Angel Reese posted on X, “10/10. No notes!”
The WNBA and WNBPA are negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement ahead of the current deal’s Oct. 31 expiration. Players are seeking salary increases, currently capped at about $250,000, and want the league to implement a revenue-sharing system without a fixed component.
Collier seems to be leading the charge and it’s clear she has had enough of Engelbert’s leadership.