Napheesa Collier was sharply critical of WNBA leadership during her exit interview on Tuesday. Collier in particular called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The comments come as the WNBA attempts to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of a possible work stoppage in 2026.
Collier said the WNBA has failed to sufficiently address issues with officiating, compensation for players and the state of the overall product. Collier 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.
“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.”
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 both sides prepare to sit on opposite sides of the negotiation table this offseason.
“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.'”