Napheesa Collier means business.
In her end-of-season media availability Tuesday, the Lynx star took aim at WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert as the league and the WNBAPA still remain at odds for a new collective bargaining agreement.
And Collier didn’t miss.
Collier, the vice president of the players association, made it clear that the WNBA have the “best” players and fans “in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world.”
She even revealed private discussions with the commissioner, including a chat surrounding low-paying salaries for the league’s brightest young stars, which Engelbert responded by saying Caitlin Clark should be “grateful” for the money she makes off the court because she “wouldn’t make anything” without the WNBA platform.
Collier’s scathing critiques — and now revealed discussions — came with the vice president at a boiling point following several meetings of CBA negotiations and numerous concerns not receiving adequate attention.
Collier pointed out the league issues, including inconsistent nightly officiating and the pay disparity WNBA players face despite the exposure and revenue those same players produce for the league.
“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 about the constant concerns about officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates,” said Collier, who the Lynx drafted sixth overall in 2019.
“Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product on the floor is truly self sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.”
Standing with Phee 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
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Two days prior, Collier and Lynx played their final game of the season after the Phoenix Mercury eliminated them in Game 4 of a best-of-five semifinals series. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve received a $15,000 fine for her comments and conduct in Game 3 after the coach expressed displeasure — using colorful language — with the league’s officiating.
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White were also fined $1,000 for their public comments defending Reeve.
The comments — and fines — were just a few instances of a recurring theme that’s been spotlighted in recent years. Collier said Tuesday she isn’t concerned about being fined, but is concerned about the future of the WNBA.
“The league has a buzzword that they’ve rolled out as talking points 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,” said Collier. “Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media. Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed.
“That is negligence.”
The strong words continued from Collier, who read off a prewritten statement for over four minutes before fielding questions from reporters.
Per Collier, the star and commissioner spoke last winter at Unrivaled — a high-paying 3-on-3 women’s basketball league co-founded by the Lynx forward and Liberty star Breanna Stewart — about the officiating issue.
“Her response was ‘well only the losers complain about the refs,’” Collier said.
Shortly after Collier’s comments spread across social media, the commissioner released a statement that said she was “disheartened” the way the star “characterized our conversations…”
The statement, however, didn’t refute any of Collier’s statements.
“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league,” said Engelbert. “My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. 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.”
Low WNBA salaries have been a talking point since the league’s inception, and it’s one reason why Collier worked to begin Unrivaled, which is set to begin its second annual season in January. In its inaugural season, average salary reportedly paid $220,000, with no player making less than $100,000.
The average WNBA salary is under $150,000, with minimum pay at $66,000. During a podcast appearance, Collier said Unrivaled salaries will increase in 2026.
Collier asked Engelbert how she planned to fix the issue of stars like Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers — who all helped drive WNBA revenue and exposure — making “so little” in their rookie deals.
Collier said: “Her response was Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court…”
Collier added that Engelbert said “players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”
The damning revelations continued while the 29-year-old questioned the leadership of the league.
Collier recalled not getting a call or text from Engelbert while she missed 11 out of 44 WNBA regular season games — and the elimination semifinals Game 4 — but the commissioner’s “No. 2” telling her agent that “she doesn’t believe physical play is contributing to injuries.”
The star contrasted that experience to the approach of Alex Bazzell — Collier’s husband and Unrivaled President — who she said reached out to injured players whether the injury was sustained in WNBA or Unrivaled action.
“That is infuriating. And it’s the perfect example of the tone deaf, dismissive approach the [WNBA] leaders always seem to take,” Collier said.
The deadline for the WNBA and players association to reach an agreement is Oct 31. With no deal, the league will have its first-ever lockout. It would stunt the growth of a league experiencing the most exposure its ever had.
“I’ve finally grown tired. For too long, I have tried to have these conversations in private, but it’s clear there’s no intention of accepting there’s a problem,” Collier said. “The league has made it clear it isn’t about innovation, it isn’t about collaboration, it’s about control and power.”
