Napheesa Collier’s Response to Cathy Engelbert Denying WNBA Comments Speaks Volumes

It’s going to take a long time for the women’s basketball community to come to terms with what Napheesa Collier claimed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said to her when the two sides spoke earlier this year.

After putting Engelbert and the league office on blast for not holding themselves accountable for poor referee performance throughout the 2025 season, Collier said, “I also asked [Engelbert] 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,'” Collier said. “And in that same conversation, [Engelbert] told me, ‘Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars, for the media right deal that I got them.’ That’s the mentality driving our league from the top.”

Cathy Engelbert’s Response to Napheesa Collier Claims

Engelbert addressed these two claims directly when speaking to the media before the WNBA Finals on October 3. About the Caitlin Clark comments, she said, “Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She has been a great representative of the game; she has brought tens of millions of new fans. Proud of what she’s putting on the court. Unfortunately, the injuries held her back from a full season this year.”

When asked about the ‘Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars’ claim, Engelbert said, “There’s a lot of inaccuracy out there… and so I think what’s most helpful is to focus on, I have been in touch with Napheesa… So I think obviously, a lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say.”

Napheesa Collier Reportedly Cancels Cathy Engelbert Meeting Amid Comment Denial

At another point in Engelbert’s presser, she said that she and Collier were planning to meet in person next week to hash things out. However, it seems that Engelbert’s calling Collier’s comments “inaccuracies” has changed matters.

Now, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews and Ramona Shelburne are reporting on October 4 that Collier has cancelled this meeting. What’s more, they wrote, But Engelbert’s assertion at a Friday news conference that Collier’s depiction of a private conversation between them was filled with inaccuracies has ‘pretty much pushed the relationship beyond repair,’ as one source put it.”

Things are only getting rockier and rockier for Engelbert right now.

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