rewrite this content and keep HTML tags (remove this from content : rewrite this content and keep HTML tags)
Napheesa Collier has been a vocal critic of the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert, but she has sympathy for Caitlin Clark
There’s chatter of envy across the WNBA due to Caitlin Clark’s skyrocketing fame, but Napheesa Collier doesn’t share that sentiment. Instead, she feels for the Indiana Fever sensation when it comes to her paycheck.
Player compensation is the hot topic in the WNBA at the moment, and Collier has been leading the charge, taking the league and commissioner Cathy Engelbert to task over what she sees as an unfair salary structure.
Minnesota Lynx star Collier, 29, argues that players are being taken advantage of, especially former Iowa standout Clark, who pulls in a base salary of $78,000 on her rookie contract despite being a game-changing star and one of the most recognizable names in American sports. Clark has previously voiced her strong opinions on Engelbert’s stewardship of the league.
READ MORE: Indiana Fever stars make feelings clear on Caitlin Clark impact and WNBA ‘jealousy’READ MORE: Angel Reese confirms long-term contract after Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
Five-time All-Star Collier, featured in Glamour’s ‘Women of the Year’ issue, used the platform to once again lambast the WNBA, Engelbert’s leadership, and a salary system that caps pay at $250,000 for the longest-serving players.
“We are being so grossly almost taken advantage of, and it should be illegal,” Collier stated. “The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting zero per cent of it because we have no revenue share. She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she’s bringing in, like, hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s insane.”
Collier, who has snagged All-WNBA First-team recognition three times, pulled in a base salary of $214,000 this season. She becomes an unrestricted free agent going into 2026.
The former UConn standout’s stance toward Clark, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, contrasts sharply with claims made by Fever player Lexi Hull, who thinks there’s rampant envy throughout the league regarding Clark’s stardom and the spotlight on the Fever because of it.
“I think there is a level of jealousy when it comes to the Fever, just because of the media attention and the fans that have shown up for us ever since Caitlin got here,” Hull said.
“We’ve heard people and players and teams talking in their locker room about, ‘We can’t let the Fever win.'”.
“If you have extra motivation to beat us because of something out of our control, that’s fine, if that’s what it takes for you guys to come and try extra hard.
“I think a little bit of that is needed across the league… Everyone should feel like they’re getting everyone else’s best, and I do feel like we get everyone else’s best.”
Collier ranks among the WNBA talents who have emerged as a prominent figure in the three-on-three Unrivaled league, which is gearing up for its second season.
Despite her frustration with the WNBA’s trajectory, Collier thinks women’s basketball overall is thriving magnificently.
“I mean, the sport is just exploding. We knew the time was now, and so the faster you can get in and get it off the ground, the better,” she added.
