After Napheesa Collier went down with an injury late in the Minnesota Lynx Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury last week, coach Cheryl Reeve called out both the officials and the WNBA‘s leadership.
During her exit interview with members of the press on Tuesday, Napheesa Collier took aim at WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
After congratulating the Mercury on reaching the WNBA Finals, she turned her focus to the lack of accountability from officials, and the WNBA’s leaders:
“The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office. 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 with 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.”
Collier went on to state that the league’s answer is to suppress the voices of players and coaches who speak out; however, the five-time All-Star made it clear that she isn’t worried about fines.
“Not One Call” – Napheesa Collier Takes Aim At Cathy Engelbert
As the co-founder of Unrivaled, Napheesa Collier has seen her husband, who serves as President of the league, handle responsibilities similar to those of Engelbert.
The way she sees things, there’s a stark contrast between how her husband approaches the role, and how Englebert handles her role:
“I have the privilege of watching my husband run a league where he has to balance 100 different things at once. I won’t pretend the job is easy, but even with all of that on his plate, he always reaches out to players when he sees an injury, whether it’s Unrivaled or even during the WNBA season. That is what leadership looks like.
“It’s the human element, it’s basic integrity, and it’s the bare minimum any leader should embody. But do you know who I haven’t heard from? Cathy. Not one call, not one text. Instead the only outreach has come from her No. 2 telling my agent that she doesn’t believe physical play is contributing to injuries.”
So far, Engelbert has yet to respond.
Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Hit With Historic Fine
After being ejected late in Game 3 following the controversial no-call on Alyssa Thomas, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve took aim at the officials and the WNBA’s leadership during her post-game press conference.
In response, the league suspended Reeve for Game 4, leaving the Lynx without their star player and their coach for an elimination game.
In addition, this week, The Athletic reported on Monday that Reeve had also been hit with a $15,000 fine, the largest individual fine in WNBA history.
Since Reeve’s comments, Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon have also been fined for supporting the Lynx coach.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Napheesa Collier Unloads on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared first on Heavy Sports.