ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Calls for WNBA Commissioner to Resign

The WNBA’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, is under fire — and this time the criticism isn’t just coming from Minnesota Lynx All-Star forward Napheesa Collier. It’s now being amplified by one of the loudest voices in sports media, Stephen A. Smith.

On ESPN’s First Take Tuesday morning, Smith delivered the sharpest rebuke yet of Engelbert’s tenure.

Discussing Collier’s season-ending press conference and Engelbert’s muted response, he didn’t hedge: “The statement given by Engelbert was weak and insufficient. Kathy Engelbert should resign.”

Collier’s Firestorm

Collier set off the debate last week in Minnesota. After tearing ankle ligaments on a controversial non-call late in Game 3 of the semifinals, the Lynx star opened her exit interview with a written statement that torched the league’s leadership.

She accused Engelbert and the WNBA office of being “the worst leadership in the world” at protecting players and warned that the league’s biggest problem wasn’t money or marketing but “the lack of accountability from the league office.”

Collier also revealed Engelbert once told her, “only losers complain about the refs,” and said the commissioner downplayed the physical toll of play.

She further claimed Engelbert remarked privately that Caitlin Clark should be “grateful” for endorsement money because “without the WNBA, she wouldn’t make anything.”

For a player long respected for her composure and professionalism, the choice to go public — and to put it all in writing — signaled just how deliberate the statement was.

Engelbert’s Misstep

Engelbert, who has led the WNBA since 2019, responded by saying she was “disheartened” and “sad” at how her conversations with Collier were portrayed.

She pointed to her accomplishments — securing a landmark media rights deal, raising franchise valuations, and helping increase player salaries — but avoided addressing the accusations directly.

That restraint may have been intended to lower the temperature. Instead, it came across as weakness.

McNutt: This Wasn’t Rash

On First Take, analyst Monica McNutt made it clear that Collier’s criticism wasn’t about a single loss. “This wasn’t about one game or one non-call,” McNutt said.

“Collier and Breanna Stewart have been leading this push, and it would have come regardless of outcomes on the floor.”

She emphasized that Collier’s reputation for measured responses made the words land even harder. “She’s not someone who speaks rashly. The fact that she wrote this out tells you how serious this is,” McNutt said.

Smith: From Weakness to Liability

That framing gave Smith his opening. He argued that Engelbert’s “sadness” response revealed she was no longer capable of leading the league through its most critical moment.

“When a player of Collier’s stature calls you out like that, and your response is sadness instead of leadership, it tells you she’s not the right person for this moment,” Smith said.

He acknowledged Engelbert’s business record but made clear it doesn’t outweigh the erosion of player trust. “You cannot preside over growth and still lose the trust of your stars,” Smith added.

“If Napheesa Collier and others feel this way, you’re no longer an asset — you’re a liability.”

A League at a Crossroads

The WNBA is entering its most pivotal offseason in years. Ratings are climbing, new sponsorships are rolling in, and stars like Caitlin Clark are boosting visibility.

But the looming CBA negotiations — and the unified stance of players like Collier, Stewart, and A’ja Wilson — mean the commissioner is facing pressure unlike any other point in her tenure.

Collier’s words sparked the conversation. Engelbert’s muted reply widened it. McNutt explained its seriousness. And Stephen A. Smith, with a national platform, escalated it into a full-blown referendum on Engelbert’s leadership.

Collier lit the match. Engelbert fumbled the extinguisher. And as Smith made sure to remind everyone: “Kathy Engelbert should resign.”

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