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Another day, another WNBA player taking aim at commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league’s leadership.
Fever star Sophie Cunningham became the latest player to speak out against the WNBA on Thursday when she addressed reporters.
The WNBA and Engelbert have been facing increasing criticism from players and media after Lynx star Napheesa Collier went on a scathing rant, calling out the league and commissioner, which included revealing previously private conversations Collier had with Engelbert.
“I’m just tired of our league,” Cunningham said Thursday. “Our leadership from top to bottom needs to be held accountable. I think there are a lot of people in positions of power in the WNBA who might be really great business people, but they don’t know s–t about basketball.”
The comment seemed to be aimed at Engelbert, though the Indiana star never mentioned her name specifically. Fever teammate Caitlin Clark backed Collier on Thursday as well.
“This is straight up the most important moment in this league’s history, where this league’s been around for 25-plus years, and this is a moment we have to capitalize on,” Clark said. “So that’s honestly what I would say. Phee said it all, what she said and the points she made.”
Collier’s comments set off a firestorm, as WNBA officiating has been in the spotlight during the playoffs. Her words have raised questions about where CBA talks stand, with the agreement set to end this month.
“The league has a buzzword that they have rolled out as talking points for the CBA as to why they can’t pay the players what we’re worth. That word is ‘sustainability,’ ” Collier said in her takedown of the WNBA and its leadership. “But what’s truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games.
“Fans see it every night. Coaches both winning and losing, pointed out every night in pregame and postgame media. Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issue that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed.”
In a statement released earlier this week, Engelbert said she was “disheartened” by Collier’s comments.
