Napheesa Collier canceled her scheduled meeting with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert due to what she sees as a "lack of accountability" in her recent statements to the media, the Minnesota Lynx star told Axios on Monday evening.
The latest: Collier said she opted out of speaking with Engelbert after the WNBA commissioner denied telling her in a private conversation last week that Caitlin Clark and other players should be "grateful" for the platform the league has given them.
- Engelbert denied making those comments to the five-time WNBA All-Star, saying on Friday, "Obviously, I did not make those comments."
What they're saying: "For her to start her speech saying she has the utmost respect for me and for the players, and then to turn around and call me a liar three minutes later ... denying words that I heard come straight out of her mouth. I think it just speaks to that lack of accountability and so I really have nothing further to say," Collier tells Axios.
- "I think she encapsulated what I was talking about in my statement."
- Representatives for the WNBA did not immediately respond to Axios' Monday evening request for comment.
The Olympic gold medalist was in Los Angeles Monday to moderate a conversation with former Vice President Kamala Harris at the Unreasonable Conversation conference, where Harris called Collier a "living example of courage" from the stage for publicity criticizing WNBA leadership.
What we're watching: Collier expects more attention on players' concerns in the coming weeks.
The other side: NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who appointed Engelbert to her role, told the media he's confident her relationship with the players can be repaired.
What's next: The current WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on October 31.
- "I think we have a lot of momentum right now. We're just pushing as hard as we can to make sure that we are getting the best deal that we can," says Collier.
