Napheesa Collier blasts WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert: Reactions across league after bombshell statement

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier made a statement Tuesday in her end-of-season news conference that’s making waves across the WNBA and could have a ripple effect on the league’s ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which will define the W’s most important offseason yet.

Collier, a five-time All-Star forward as well as a vice president of the WNBA Players Association and the co-founder of offseason 3-on-3 league Unrivaled, called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and called for more consistent officiating.

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“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world,” Collier said during her four-minute statement. “But right now we have the worst leadership in the world.”

Already, her words are spreading like wildfire across social media and being met with overwhelming support.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby thanked Collier for her bravery. Hamby is a three-time All-Star, two-time WNBA Sixth Player of the Year and one-time league champion.

WNBA great Elena Delle Donne chimed in on Instagram. In particular, she keyed in on Collier’s criticism of Engelbert’s leadership, which Collier juxtaposed with that of her husband, Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, who she said checks on players once they’ve gone down with an injury.

” … That is what leadership looks like,” Collier said. “It’s the human element. It’s basic integrity. And it’s the bare minimum any leader should embody. This year alone, I’ve gotten calls, texts and well wishes from so many players across the league. Those moments remind me that sometimes there are things bigger than the results in this game we play.

“Do you know who I haven’t heard from? Cathy. Not one call, not one text. Instead, the only outreach has come from her No. 2 telling my agent that she doesn’t believe physical play is contributing to injuries. That is infuriating, and it’s the perfect example of the tone deaf, dismissive approach that our leaders always seem to take.”

Delle Donne, who played 10 seasons from 2013-2023 and earned WNBA MVP honors twice, noted on Instagram: “It’s the care for the human part for me. I’m still not sure if Cathy knows I retired. Heard from everyone but her.”

Another decorated forward signaled her approval of Collier’s statement Tuesday, with three-time WNBA champion Alysha Clark posting a string of emoji that seemed to endorse Collier’s message.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, one of the most discussed players in today’s WNBA and already a two-time All-Star and double-double machine, posted on X: “10/10. No notes!”

The Indiana Fever reportedly said Caitlin Clark has no comment on Collier’s statement. Clark, a blossoming superstar who hasn’t always gotten calls despite the league’s increased physicality, has missed most of the season with a collection of muscle injuries, the latest a right groin issue that has kept her off the court since July 15.

“I have a lot of respect for Phee,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “I’m thankful that we have strong women that are willing to say the things that matter and say the things that will move the needle for change.”

The Fever are currently tied 2-2 with the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA semifinals.

White’s team has been riddled with injuries this season. One of the Fever’s remaining Day 1 contributors, guard Lexie Hull, shared her thoughts on Collier’s statement.

“I think I agree with everything she said,” Hull noted, via Philippou. “We’re at a really important time in the league, and changes need to be made, and so you’re seeing her talk about that, and really proud of her for making that statement today.”

The WNBAPA issued a statement to The Athletic regarding Collier’s comments.

“Napheesa Collier is an outstanding leader and Officer of this Union,” the statement reads, per The Athletic’s Ben Pickman.

“When Phee speaks, people listen. We are confident that her words today speak to the feelings and experiences of many, if not most or all of our members. 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. They are fighting for their legacy and the future of basketball.”

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More on Collier’s statement …

Collier’s statement was backed by her teammates, and it arrived four days after she suffered a left ankle injury on a no-call that caused longtime Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve to berate an official and then unload on WNBA officiating in her viral postgame news conference.

But Collier maintained that her frustrations existed before her most recent injury and have nothing to do with her Lynx being bounced by the Phoenix Mercury from the WNBA semifinals.

Most notably, Collier recalled a conversation with Engelbert from February while Collier was at Unrivaled, the new lucrative league she and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart founded.

“I sat across from Cathy 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 Caitlin [Clark], Angel [Reese] and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin 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.’ That’s the mentality driving our league from the top.”

Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has repeatedly defended Clark during her first year with the organization, went to bat for the Iowa product again on Instagram, commenting on a post that featured Collier’s description of her February exchange with Engelbert.

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“People only know Cathy because of C (Caitlin) … ” Cunningham wrote. “She’s the most delusional leader our league has seen.”

Engelbert released a statement Tuesday afternoon, addressing Collier’s comments.

“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA,” Engelbert said in the written statement. “Together, we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. 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.”

While fielding questions from reporters in the wake of her groundbreaking remarks Tuesday, Collier acknowledged that she’d likely be fined by the league.

“I’m sure that they will fine me,” Collier said. “I mean, it seems like anything with free speech is fined now.”