Collier, known for her candidness in championing players’ causes, criticized the current level of officiating and player pay, describing those at the helm of the league as “tone deaf” and “dismissive.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Much like her passionate head coach, Lynx’s standout forward Napheesa Collier may soon find her bank balance reduced by a few thousand dollars after she openly criticized the leadership of the WNBA during her exit interview on Tuesday.
Collier, who sustained an injury from a harsh collision during Game 3 of Minnesota’s playoffs against the Phoenix Mercury, delivered a prepared statement criticizing the competence of league officiating and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s indifferent response to demands for improvement. The runner-up for MVP emphasized that she was initiating a dialogue about an issue far larger than mere victories or defeats.
“The actual danger to our league isn’t financial, related to viewership numbers, or even missed calls or intense gameplay. It’s the absence of accountability from the league’s administration,” Collier declared. She claimed that inconsistency in officiating across the WNBA has become a pervasive issue that “plagues our sport and compromises its credibility.”
Collier highlighted harsh fouls and aggressive plays that have benched top players like Caitlin Clark and herself, asserting that everyone from coaches to players and fans recognizes the harm caused by officials turning a blind eye. Everyone recognizes this, Collier insisted, except for Engelbert and the league’s executives, labeling it “negligence.”
“The league’s regard for player well-being is one concern, but to also disregard the quality of the game we deliver is a form of self-sabotage,” Collier stated to the press. “Each year, the sole consistent factor is the lack of accountability from those in charge.”
The Lynx forward was also vocal and direct in her criticism of WNBA player compensation, saying that talent like Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, who are driving “massive revenue” for the league, should be making more. Collier recalled a conversation with Englebert in which the commissioner allegedly said Clark “should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
“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. We go to battle every day to protect a shield that doesn’t value us,” Collier alleged. “The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them.”
It was revealed Tuesday that Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was fined $15,000 for going at an official after Collier was injured in Game 3 by what she felt was an uncalled hard foul, and for blasting the league following the game. When asked by reporters if she thought she would be fined for Tuesday’s statement, she said she wasn’t concerned about that, but “for the future of our sport.”
“We have the best players in the world, we have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier insisted.
At this point, there has been no official response from the commissioner or other league officials, but Collier’s comments have spread like wildfire across social media platforms.
