WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert responds to criticism by Napheesa Collier

On Wednesday, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier openly criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert‘s leadership. Engelbert responded to Collier’s viral claims later that day with a written statement. Ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday, Engelbert addressed Collier’s comments again.

“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa and for every single player in our league. They are at the center of everything we do,” Engelbert said. “I was disheartened to hear that some players feel the league, and me personally do not care about them or listen to them. And if the players in the W don’t feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to do better, and I have to do better.

“We know how great these players are on and off the court, how much they mean to our league, our fans and our communities. If they don’t feel that, I will do everything I can to change that. No one should ever doubt how deeply I care about this league, this game, and every single player who makes the WNBA what it is. So, we value feedback. We listen to criticism. We remain committed to engaging in the difficult but necessary conversations that ultimately make us all stronger.”

Collier had a chorus of criticisms for Engelbert. She tore into the WNBA’s officiating, along with its pay system. Notably, Collier revealed an anecdote of a conversation she had with Engelbert, in which the commissioner allegedly belittled the idea of paying young WNBA stars, such as Caitlin Clark, more than what first-year players have traditionally made.

“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel [Reese], and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years,” Collier said. “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.”

Clark earned just over $78,000 from the WNBA this season. The former Iowa standout has been largely responsible for the WNBA’s massive increase in popularity over the past two years. In 2024 — Clark’s rookie season — the WNBA had an average of 1.19 million viewers across ESPN platforms, a 170% increase from the 2023 season.

The WNBA’s viewership continued to climb this season, improving by another 6% from 2024. At her end-of-season exit interview on Thursday, Clark backed Collier.

“This is straight up the most important moment in this league’s history,” Clark said. “This league’s been around for 25+ years, and this is a moment we have to capitalize on. So, that’s honestly what I would say. Phee said it all with what she said and the points she made were very valid.”

Engelbert has been the WNBA’s commissioner since 2019. She also noted the WNBA is creating a multi-stakeholder task force called the “state-of-the-game committee” to ensure the league’s officiating evolves with the rest of the game.