Lynx star Napheesa Collier came prepared to her exit interview on Tuesday, delivering a candid statement on her thoughts on the current state of the WNBA.
Collier, a vocal member of the WNBA Players Association, started her press conference by calling out the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert for a "lack of accountability from the league office." Collier went on to highlight the problems she saw with the league—such as the inconsistent officiating—which she believed Engelbert and the league's leadership aren't addressing.
"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," Collier said. "Year after year the only thing that remains consistent is a lack of accountability from our leaders. ... They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence.
"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."
Listen to Collier's full statement here:
Napheesa Collier’s full statement today, where she challenged Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA with directness and stunning detail we rarely hear from active players. Worth listening to every word. pic.twitter.com/IRTvTc52EA
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 30, 2025
Collier shared a few personal conversations she had with Engelbert this past year amid ongoing CBA negotiations with the league. She revealed that she spoke with Engelbert in February about her concerns surrounding the state of officiating, and Engelbert told her, "Only the losers complain about the refs."
Collier and the Lynx were recently at the center of heated officiating controversy during Game 3 in their WNBA semifinals series with the Mercury. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the league's decision to assign that officiating crew was "f---ing malpractice" and later received a hefty fine for her outburst. The Lynx lost Game 3 and 4 and were knocked out of the postseason.
Collier and Engelbert also had a conversation in February about how the league planned to fix the fact that young stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers make very little salary-wise in their first four years in the W. Engelbert allegedly told Collier that "Caitlin should be grateful" and that "players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them."
In July 2024, the WNBA agreed to an 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and new rights holder NBCUniversal that is reportedly valued at around $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year.
The WNBA Players Association is currently negotiating with the league for higher salaries and increased revenue sharing, among other topics, in a new collective bargaining agreement. WNBA players notably made a powerful statement during All-Star weekend in July by wearing "Pay us what you owe us" t-shirts before the All-Star game.
"We go to battle every day to protect a shield for a league that doesn't value us. The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them," Collier said.
The WNBPA has since issued a statement regarding Collier's comments:
"The leaders of the league and its teams would benefit from listening to her powerful statement. The players know their value even if the league does not."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Napheesa Collier Puts WNBA Commissioner on Blast Over Officiating, CBA Talks.
