WNBA Star Destroys League Commish in Fiery Press Conference Over Officiating, Player Pay: ‘Worst Leadership in the World!’

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier read out a scathing statement criticizing WNBA leadership over league officiating and player pay.

The Lynx were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs after losing to the Phoenix Mercury 86-81 on Sunday. Minnesota was forced to play that game without Collier, who sustained in an ankle injury in the previous matchup.

Critics have argued that Collier was fouled on the play, but the officials did not call it that way. In response to the lack of a whistle, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve had harsh words for the league and its refs during a post-game press conference. Reeve was suspended for the next game, meaning the Lynx were without their coach and their best player for the game they eventually lost.

At the start of a press conference on Tuesday, Collier read a prepared statement accusing the league — and specifically WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert — of being dismissive of player concerns when it comes to player safety. The star forward said:

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. 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.

The league has a buzzword that they’ve rolled out as talking points for the CBA as to why they can’t pay the players what we’re worth. That word is “sustainability,” but what’s truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games. Fans see it every night. Coaches — both winning and losing — point it out every night in pre-game and post-game media, yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence.

Collier then recalled a conversation she had with Engelbert last February when she brought up these very issues:

At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league. Her response was, “Well, only the losers complain about the refs.” 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 should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because, without the platform that the WBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.” And 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.”

That’s the mentality driving our league from the top. We go to battle every day to protect a shield that doesn’t value us. The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them.

Collier added that she “tried to have these conversations in private,” but the league’s supposed refusal to accept “there’s a problem” pushed her to issue a public statement.

“The league has made it clear it isn’t about innovation,” Collier said. “It isn’t about collaboration. It’s about control and power. I’ve earned this platform and I’ve paid the price to get here, and now I have a responsibility to speak on behalf of the fans and everyone in this league that deserves better. Our leadership’s answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone’s voices by handing out fines. I’m not concerned about a fine. I’m concerned about the future of our sport. At some point, everyone deserves to hear the truth from someone who I hope has earned the benefit of the doubt to fight for what is right and fair for our athletes and our fans.

“We have the best players in the world; we have the best fans in the world; but right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.”

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