Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier went scorched earth on the WNBA commissioner during an exit interview, claiming the league’s leadership is inept and suggesting she dismissed concerns about poor officiating and staggeringly low rookie salaries.
In a fiery statement, Collier accused Commissioner Cathy Engelbert of negligence, ignoring player injuries, dismissing officiating concerns, and failing to respect players.
On the officiating front – something that came up during superstar player Caitlin Clark’s season-ending groin injury – the Lynx forward suggested Engelbert brushed off concerns from players and fans.
“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,” Collier said.
“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.”
Collier contends that Engelbert’s response was, “Only the losers complain about the refs.”
Which, on its own, is a correct statement. But things get a whole lot worse if Collier is to be believed.
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
Cathy Engelbert said what about Caitlin Clark?
Some of the most damaging comments – again, what has been alleged by Collier – involve Cathy Engelbert’s alleged complete dismissal of player salary concerns. Which, when you have a looming player strike, is probably not the best approach.
Engelbert allegedly responded that players like Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark should be grateful for their off-court earnings enabled by the WNBA platform.
“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,” Engelbert said, according to Collier.
“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,” the Lynx star continued. “That’s [the] mentality driving our league from the top.”
Holy smokes. If there is a more tone-def statement about the WNBA out there than that, you’d be hard-pressed to find it.
Players like Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese didn’t rake in millions because of their play in the WNBA. They raked in millions because of their college play and the ensuing rivalry that began there.
And they only made that cash by leveraging other opportunities – Reese’s podcast success and deal with Reebok, and Clark’s Nike deals come to mind. Other, lesser-known players aren’t getting those kinds of off-court contracts and still have to plod their way through a WNBA season while getting paid roughly $75,000/year.
Clark signed her first NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with Nike in 2022, before the start of her WNBA career. She later re-signed with the brand in April 2024 for a record-setting deal that was before she officially played in a WNBA game.
Denies statements made by Napheesa Collier
For her part, Cathy Engelbert has responded by denouncing how her comments about Caitlin Clark have been characterized by Napheesa Collier.
“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA,” she said in a statement. “Together, we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game.”
“I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”
That’s not, it should be noted, an outright denial of what Collier has quoted her as saying. At the same time, it should also be noted that Napheesa’s comments need to be taken with a grain of salt – Collier is the co-founder of the Unrivaled 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league.
She has a business stake in seeing the WNBA tank.
Sources tell Sports Business Journal that Engelbert will likely be out as commissioner after the league somehow navigates the CBA negotiations.
“I think she’s a wicked smart business person, and the success she gets a lot of credit for. But a commissioner has to have a personality element that can touch every constituent that they have. I think she’s just lacking in it,” a source told the outlet.
“You’re where you are now, you have got to get through this labor negotiation. After that, it wouldn’t surprise me if she did a victory lap and rode off back into the corporate world somewhere.”
Engelbert’s office denies those claims. If the league somehow survives, she may not be able to make that decision on her own. They may force her hand.