In her end of season media availability for Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, Collier called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league’s lack of transparency, in addition to officiating concerns, player safety and stalled CBA negotiations.
Collier made it clear that she was speaking for herself — ‘I’m not speaking for anyone else. I’m sure other people feel this way, but I want to be clear that I’m speaking for myself. This is how I feel,’ Collier said — but fellow WNBA players, coaches and former stars are speaking up in support of Collier.
‘I agree with everything she said,’ Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull said Tuesday afternoon. ‘We’re at a really important time in the league and changes need to be made. And so you’re seeing her talk about that and really proud of her for making that statement today.’
Hull is not the only person reacting to Collier’s scathing statement. Here’s what the WNBA world is saying.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert
In a statement shared with USA TODAY Sports, Engelbert said she has ‘the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA.’
‘Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league,’ Engelbert said. ‘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.”
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve
Reeve said she had to be careful with her words on Tuesday, noting that ‘Cathy (Engelbert) is out there firing fines’ after she was reportedly docked $15K for her postgame comments and behavior following her ejection in the Lynx’s Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
‘(Collier’s) voice is a really important one and I’m proud of Phee,’ Reeve said in her exit interview. ‘Who Phee has become as a player and a person in this league is really important. Her voice is important… I support our player.’
Elena Delle Donne
Seven-time WNBA All-Star Elena Delle Donne shared highlights from Collier’s statement on her Instagram story, saying she fully relates to Collier’s comments about league leadership lacking ‘basic integrity.’ Collier said Engelbert hasn’t reached out to her all season even when she went down with a left ankle injury in Game 3 of the Lynx’s semifinal WNBA playoff series against the Phoenix Mercury.
‘It’s the human element, it’s basic integrity and it’s the bare minimum any leader should embody,’ Collier said. ‘This year alone, I’ve gotten calls, texts, and well wishes from so many players across the league. … But do you know who I haven’t heard from? Cathy (Engelbert). Not one call, not one text.’
In response, Delle Donne said ‘the Queen has spoken.’ Delle Donne, who retired in April after 10 seasons and a WNBA championship (2019), was named the league MVP twice (2015, 2019). She added: ‘It’s the care for the human part for me. I’m still not sure if Cathy knows I retired. Heard from everyone but her.’
Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull
Hull said the WNBA players ‘are driving this change’ in the league.
‘From the players’ perspective, things need to change, reffing needs to change, leadership needs to change,’ Hull said on Tuesday. ‘Our league is at a spot that it hasn’t been in the past 10 years. We’re growing exponentially and we need change to mirror that. And I think where the players see the league going is different than where leadership sees the league going and somehow we need to see that aligned. I think the CBA negotiations will help hopefully get us there.’
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark
Collier recalled a specific conversation she had with Engelbert back in February during the inaugural season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Collier and Breanna Stewart.
‘I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin (Clark), Angel (Reese) and Paige (Bueckers), who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin (Clark) should be grateful to make $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
Clark has no comment on Collier’s statement, the Fever told Indystar, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White
Fever head coach Stephanie White said she has ‘a lot of respect for Napheesa (Collier).’
‘I’m thankful that we have strong women that are willing to say the things that matter and say the things that will move the needle for change,’ White added. ‘(Collier) quietly goes about her business. She has been a dominant player in our league and on the global stage, she understands she’s been a part of the (WNBPA) and understands the business side of it as well as the basketball side of it.’
Las Vegas guard Chelsea Gray
Las Vegas guard Chelsea Gray highlighted the growing tensions between players and the league amid ongoing CBA negotiations. The current CBA, which was signed into effect in January 2020, shortly after Engelbert took over as commissioner in 2019, will expire on Oct. 31 after the WNBPA opted out of the agreement last October.
‘We have a lot of work to do, more so on the W side and with Cathy (Engelbert), and understanding our value as a league, as players, and there’s no league without the players,’ Gray said on Tuesday. ‘We’re not where we should be or we thought we would be when we decided to opt out… It’s not anywhere where we thought it would be. It’s market share, it’s salaries, it’s player safety, it’s everything. I wouldn’t say that we’re where we want to be for maybe one thing.’
New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese
Angel McCoughtry
Collier said she’s ‘not concerned about a fine,’ Angel McCoughtry offered to cover the cost. McCoughtry last played for the Minnesota Lynx in 2022.
Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby
Washington Mystics forward Alysa Clark
Alysa Clark serves as the WNPBA Vice President.
Indiana Pacers Tyrese Haliburton
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.