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The comments that Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier made during her September 30 exit interview are sending shockwaves throughout the WNBA.
Collier spoke from a piece of paper and embarked on a passionate monologue that put the league office on blast for a failure to be accountable for the poor performance of the WNBA referees throughout this season. She also called for a leadership change, which would suggest that she’s requesting that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert be removed from her current role.
Napheesa Collier’s full statement today, where she challenged Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA with directness and stunning detail we rarely hear from active players. Worth listening to every word. pic.twitter.com/IRTvTc52EA
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 30, 2025
That wasn’t the most startling thing that Collier shared about Engelbert. At one point in her interview, she said, “I also asked [Engelbert during a discussion earlier this year] 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.
“[Elgelbert’s] 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 continued. “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.”
Sophie Cunningham Puts Cathy Engelbert on Blast for Caitlin Clark ‘Grateful’ Comment
Engelbert asserting that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who is undoubtedly the biggest star in the league and has been instrumental in the game’s recent boom in popularity and attention, should be “grateful” to the league office is preposterous.
Clark’s teammate Sophie Cunningham has acted as Clark’s enforcer and defender in more ways than one this season. And she did so once again with several scathing social media comments on Tuesday.
The @sidelinesources Instagram account posted a graphic of Engelbert’s comments regarding Clark that Collier relayed. Cunningham commented on this by writing, “people only know Cathy because of C…. She’s the most delusional leader our league has seen.”
She followed this up with another comment that read, “AND IT SHOULDN’T EVER BE ABOUT OUR COMMISSIONER IN THE FIRST PLACE.”
SOPHIE ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/eDGMeSly62
— correlation (@nosyone4) September 30, 2025
Cunningham is perhaps the most outspoken player in the league, and is never afraid to share her opinions — despite the consequences (which are typically fines) that come along with it.
While one would imagine Cunningham will get fined for these comments, that would serve as further proof of what Collier said about the league handing out fines rather than taking true accountability.
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