Napheesa Collier exposes private conversations with WNBA commissioner in blistering attack

A fed-up Napheesa Collier used Tuesday’s end-of-season press conference to air her grievances with the league’s office and took direct aim at WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Collier blasted Engelbert as “the worst leadership in the world” during a nearly 4 1/2-minute statement, during which she also criticized the league’s handling of officiating complaints and the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

She said the “real threat” to the league isn’t money, ratings or the officiating — but a lack of accountability at the top, too.

“For too long, I have tried to have these conversations in private,” said Collier, a vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association. “But it’s clear there is no intention of accepting there’s a problem. The league has made it clear it isn’t about innovation, it isn’t about collaboration, it’s about control and power.

“Our leadership’s answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone’s voices by handing out fines. I’m not concerned about a fine. I’m concerned about the future of our sport. At some point, everyone deserves to hear the truth from someone who I hope has earned the benefit of the doubt to fight for what is right and far for our athletes and our fans.”

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg in Collier’s succinct, yet pointed, message that came less than 48 hours after the Lynx were bounced in the semifinals.

Collier said she planned to make these remarks regardless if the Lynx won or lost.

Officiating has been a hot-button issue within the WNBA all season, with coaches and players after wins and losses expressing frustration with inconsistencies. And yet, little seems to be done to address the root of the problem.

“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. “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.”

Collier also provided receipts of Engelbert’s apparent dismissiveness toward players during contentious CBA negotiating meetings.

At Unrivaled in February, Collier said she sat across from Engelbert and asked about the league’s plans to address widespread officiating issues.

Her response, according to Collier, was, “Well, only the losers complain about refs.”

When it came to how the WNBA planned to improve rookie scale contracts considering young players Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers have been major factors in the league’s booming popularity, Engelbert allegedly said, “Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t anything.

“In that same conversation,” Collier said, “[Engelbert] 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,” Collier said. “We go to battle every day to protect a shield that doesn’t value us. The league believes it succeeds despite its players not because of them.”

In a statement, Engelbert responded to Collier’s allegations, saying, “I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and this work will not waver.”

The apparent disconnect between Engelbert and players is not new.

Sabrina Ionescu said this season that she wished Engelbert was as accessible to WNBA players as NBA commissioner Adam Silver is.

In fact, the 2024 WNBA champion said she’s had more conversations with Silver over the years about growing the game of basketball (among other things) than she’s had with Engelbert.

Several players didn’t answer Engelbert’s call during All-Star announcements because they didn’t have the commissioner’s number saved.

There was also an embarrassing snafu where Engelbert mistakenly left a voicemail on Storm guard Gabby Williams’ phone when she meant to call Mystics rookie Sonia Citron to congratulate her on being an All-Star.

Collier, a co-founder of Unrivaled, noted that her husband and president of the 3-on-3 league Alex Bazzell has managed to check in on players, despite having to manage the various responsibilities that come with an executive position.

“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… But do you know who I haven’t heard from? Cathy. Not one call, not one text. Instead, her only outreach has come from her No. 2 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.”

Collier’s statement is also an indictment on the massive canyon between where players-league officials relations stand with the current CBA set to expire at the end of next month.

The WNBPA issued a statement backing Collier, saying she “is an outstanding leader and office of this union.

“When Phee speaks, people listen,” the statement said. “We are confident that her words today speak to the feelings and experiences of many, if not most or all of our members…. The players know their value even if the league does not.”

Collier watched Sunday’s game from the sidelines after suffering a left leg injury during a bang-bang play when Alyssa Thomas’ stole the ball toward the end of Game 3.

In the immediate aftermath, a furious Cheryl Reeve charged the court and was ultimately ejected. After the loss, Reeve demanded a change in officiating at the league level.

The official X page belonging to the NBA Referees union, which also represents WNBA officials, defended the call on Thomas’ steal, saying the in-game refs got the call right.

But that doesn’t make up for the other calls that were overlooked throughout the game leading up to that moment.

Reeve was subsequently fined $15,000 and suspended for Game 4, with the Lynx facing elimination.

While Reeve said she wasn’t fully aware of what Collier said, she supported the Lynx star.

“[Collier’s] voice is obviously an important one,” she said.