Napheesa Collier shook the WNBA during her exit interview, boldly calling out league leadership, and she wasn’t alone. Fellow stars quickly rallied behind her.
Collier didn’t shy away from expressing her frustration with the state of the league’s leadership. As she began the interview, the Minnesota Lynx forward pulled out a sheet with her notes and criticized WNBA leadership, particularly WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Collier referenced private conversations with Englerbert that hinted toward players needing to display more appreciation for what she has done for the league. Those remarks sparked swift reaction from fellow WNBA stars, including A’ja Wilson, who responded to the alleged comments during her post-game presser.
Wilson said she was “honestly disgusted” by Commissioner Engelbert’s purported comments. “But at the same time, I’m very appreciative that we have people like Phee in our committee of players’ association representing us, because that’s what we are going to have to continue to make the push to stand on what we believe in,” Wilson told reporters after the Aces’ September 30 win over the Indiana Fever.
Napheesa’s Take on Leadership
Collier’s statement was not a result of the Lynx losing to the Phoenix Mercury, but for the league as a whole. She mentioned her conversation with Engelbert during Unrivaled’s season, where she asked how she plans to address the state of officiating.
Engelbert responded, allegedly saying that “only the losers complain about the refs,” according to Collier. Throughout the season, players and coaches have been critical of the officiating throughout the league.
Collier missed Game Four against Phoenix due to an injury from a controversial no-call where she collided with Alyssa Thomas and rolled her ankle. The Indiana Fever also suffered injury throughout the season, losing three players to season-ending injuries.
WNBA Star Power
In addition to Wilson’s support of Collier, other stars, including Angel Reese, Dearica Hamby, Nneka Ogwumike, and Sophie Cunningham, echoed their sentiments toward leadership.
Before Collier’s explosive exit interview made headlines, the WNBPA, players, and league officials were already struggling to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. There are 28 days left before the current contract expires.
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou asked Las Vegas guard Chelsea Gray about the status of CBA talks. The point Gawd expressed is that talks are not great, and Engelbert may not be recognizing players’ value.
Not to mention, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith expressed his thoughts on the purported comments of the Commissioner and her formal response to Collier’s accusations. “Cathy Engelbert needs to resign, period,” Smith said on October 1, on an episode of First Take.
While there has been no movement in current CBA conversations, the WNBA Finals are set. Phoenix will take on Las Vegas in a best-of-seven series. The Aces have home court advantage in a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
Neither team was the heavy favorite to make it to the WNBA Finals. Las Vegas struggled until August 3, but the team went on a 16-game win streak. On the flip side, Phoenix cruised throughout the season while navigating injuries and experimenting with late-season additions to the roster.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Aces are slightly favored in this series (-135 to +114). They won 3-out-4 games when the two teams met this season.
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