Deadspin | Lynx star Napheesa Collier rips WNBA: ‘worst management in world’

Minnesota guard Napheesa Collier blasted WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for “the worst leadership in the world” in a convincing assertion sending shockwaves across the league on Tuesday.

“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,” Collier stated in studying from a ready assertion lasting simply over 4 minutes.

Collier, a face of the league and runner-up for WNBA Most Valuable Player for the second season in a row, additionally criticized the league workplace for what she perceives as a “lack of accountability.”

“I want to be clear this conversation is not about winning or losing,” Collier started referencing a written assertion in entrance of her at her season-ending press convention. “It’s about something much bigger. 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.”

She additionally revealed Engelbert purportedly made alarming commeints in a dialog in February about gamers’ compensation, an unsettled problem for a brand new collective bargaining settlement between the WNBA Players Association and the league. Collier wished to know what star gamers like Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings aren’t making extra money whereas on their rookie contracts.

“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that Caitlin,, Angel and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years,” Collier stated. “Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.’

“And in that very same dialog,” Collier continued, “she informed me gamers ought to be on their knees thanking their fortunate stars for the media rights deal that (she) received 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,” she stated.

Engelbert and the league had not commented as of early Tuesday afternoon.

Collier’s criticisms adopted the scathing feedback made by her coach, Cheryl Reeve, concerning the officiating following the top-seeded Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in Game 3 of their semifinal playoff collection.

Collier injured her left ankle within the closing seconds of the sport when no foul was referred to as on the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas, who stripped the ball from her and made a steal. Reeve was ejected for arguing for a foul, and her conduct and postgame feedback received the veteran coach suspended by the league for one recreation.

Without Reeve and Collier, who watched Game 4 in a strolling boot, the Lynx had been eradicated by the Mercury. Collier stated on Tuesday that she tore some ligaments and severely sprained the ankle, and he or she would not have been in a position to play if the Lynx, who had the league’s greatest file within the common season, had made a return journey to the WNBA Finals.

“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 of which it operates,” Collier, who turned 29 on Sept. 23, stated on Tuesday.

“Whether the league cares about the health of our 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.”

Reeve was fined $15,000 for her feedback and conduct, ESPN reported on Monday. Collier stated she isn’t fearful about getting fined by the league for her feedback.

“Our leadership’s answer to being held accountability is to suppress everyone’s voices by handing out fines,” Collier stated. “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 serve a league that has proven they assume championship coaches and Hall of Fame gamers are dispensable, and that is advantageous, it is skilled sports activities. But I can’t stand quietly by and permit totally different requirements to be utilized on the league stage.”

Collier has averaged 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in 193 regular-season games (all starts) in her career. She is a five-time All-Star in seven seasons, all with Minnesota. She was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and first-team All-WNBA in 2023 and 2024.

Collier’s full statement can be read below:

“First of all, I’d prefer to congratulate the Mercury for advancing to the Finals. I need to be clear this dialog isn’t about successful or shedding, it is about one thing a lot greater. The actual risk to our league is not cash, it is not scores and even missed calls and even bodily play. It’s the shortage of accountability from the league workplace. Since I’ve been within the league, you have heard the fixed issues about officiating and it has now reached ranges of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity with which it operates.

Whether the league cares concerning the well being of the gamers is one factor, however to additionally not care concerning the product we placed on the ground is actually self-sabotage. Year after yr, the one factor that is still constant is the shortage of accountability from our leaders. The league has a buzzword that they rolled out as a speaking level for the CBA as to why they cannot pay the gamers what we’re price; that phrase is sustainability. But what’s really unsustainable is maintaining a superb product on the ground whereas permitting officers to lose management of video games. Fans see it each evening. Coaches, each successful and shedding, level it out each evening in pre- and post-game media. And management simply points fines and appears the opposite means. They ignore the problems that everybody inside the sport is begging them to repair. That is negligence.

At Unrivaled this previous February, I sat throughout from Cathy and requested how she deliberate to deal with the officiating points in our league. Her response was, ‘Well, solely the losers complain concerning the refs.’ I additionally requested how she deliberate to repair the truth that gamers like Caitlin, Angel and Paige, who’re clearly driving large income for the league, are making so little for his or her first 4 years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin ought to be grateful she makes $60 million off the courtroom as a result of with out the platform the WNBA offers her, she would not make something.’

In that very same dialog, she informed me ‘gamers ought to be on their knees thanking their fortunate stars for the media rights deal that I received them.’ That’s the mentality driving our league from the highest. We go to battle day-after-day to guard a defend that does not worth us. The league believes it succeeds regardless of its gamers, not due to them.

I’ve the privilege of watching my husband run a league the place he has to stability 100 various things directly. I will not fake the job is simple, however even with all of that on his plate, he all the time reaches out to gamers when he sees an harm, whether or not it is Unrivaled and even in the course of the WNBA season. That is what management appears to be like like. It’s the human factor, it is primary integrity, and it is the naked minimal any chief ought to embody. But have you learnt who I have not heard from? Cathy. Not one name, not one textual content. Instead the one outreach has come from her No. 2 telling my agent that she does not consider bodily play is contributing to accidents.

That is infuriating. And it is the proper instance of the tone deaf, dismissive method that our leaders all the time appear to take. I’ve lastly grown drained. For too lengthy, I’ve tried to have these conversations in personal, but it surely’s clear there is no intention of accepting there’s an issue. The league has made it clear it is not about innovation, it is not about collaboration, it is about management and energy. I’ve earned this platform and I paid the worth to get right here, and now I’ve a duty to talk on behalf of the followers and everybody on this league that deserves higher.

Our management’s reply to being held accountable is to suppress everybody’s voices by handing out fines. I’m not involved a couple of advantageous. I’m involved about the way forward for our sport. At some level, everybody deserves to listen to the reality from somebody who I hope has earned the good thing about the doubt to battle for what is true and honest for our athletes and our followers. We have the most effective gamers on the planet. We have the most effective followers on the planet. But proper now we have now the worst management on the planet.

If I did not know precisely what the job entailed, possibly I would not really feel this manner, however sadly for them, I do. We serve a league that has proven they assume championship coaches and Hall of Fame gamers are dispensible, and that is advantageous, it is skilled sports activities. But I can’t stand quietly by and permit totally different requirements to be utilized on the league stage.”

–Field Level Media