Napheesa Collier goes scorched earth on WNBA, commissioner Cathy Engelbert in direct call-out

The Minnesota Lynx, the No. 1 seed this season in the WNBA, saw their season come to a disappointing end with a loss in the playoff semifinals this weekend to the Phoenix Mercury. Now, as they go into the offseason, Napheesa Collier took the chance to get some things off of her chest about those in charge of the WNBA.

Collier sat down at her exit interview this afternoon with a prepared statement for the media regarding the Women’s National Basketball Association. She criticized the accountability of their leadership in the WNBA, namely Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, in several facets of their league, whether officiating, paying their players, or just the general product on their floors.

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

“I want to be clear. This conversation is not about winning or losing. It’s about something much bigger. The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls or physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office,” Collier began. “Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates. Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.

“The league has a buzzword that they’ve rolled out as talking points for the CBA as to why they can’t pay the players what they’re worth. That word is sustainability, 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, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media. Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence.”

Collier then shared some conversations about issues that she has attempted to have with Engelbert. Her apparent responses, about both officiating as well as their players’ compensation, were not what she wanted to hear from the leader of their league.

“This past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league. Her response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs,'” recalled Collier.

“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel, and Paige, 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 $60 million off the court because, without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything. And, in that conversation, she told me players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”

Collier, one of the best players in the league as a five-time All-Star and three-time selection as All-WNBA, clearly wasn’t concerned about any response back by the league, later stating “anything with free speech is being fined now.” She had something to say this afternoon about the state of their league and it’s leadership, and she used her platform in a way to ensure it got heard in a significant way.

“That’s the mentality driving our league from the top,” said Collier. “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.

“I’ve finally grown tired. For too long, I have tried to have these conversations in private, but it’s clear there’s 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. I have earned this platform, and I paid the price to get here and now I have a responsibility to speak on behalf of the fans and everybody in this league that deserves better. 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, everybody deserves to hear the truth from someone who I hope has earned the benefit of the doubt to fight for what is right and fair for our athletes and our fans.

“We have the best leadership in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But, right now, we have the worst leadership in the world. We serve a league that has shown they think championship coaches and Hall of Fame players are dispensable, and that’s fine. It’s professional sports. But I will not stand quietly by and allow different standards to be applied at the league level.”