Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier has a lot of things on her plate. The five-time All-Star suffered a significant ankle injury, which resulted in Minnesota’s eventual elimination from the 2025 WNBA playoffs. However, Collier didn’t focus on any of these matters during her end-of-season press conference. Her main attention rested on something far greater.
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Collier’s isn’t just a star, she is widely considered a pillar in the WNBPA. She currently serves as the Player Association’s vice president, whose main overarching issue within the WNBA has been regarding negotiations involving the CBA. No progress has been made between the sides, hinting at the likely possibility of a lockout next season.
Of course, neither party wants that to be the case, but considering the ‘who blinks first’ game has been at a stalemate for quite some time. it might be impossible to prevent. The players don’t feel valued by the higher-ups in the league, despite WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert claiming that it isn’t the case.
Collier, on the other hand, doesn’t believe Engelbert’s ability to resolve the situation.
“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 said.
It may seem from an outsider’s perspective that Collier’s grievances are purely derived from money. However, she urges that it is far from reality. The problem that lies in the league has to do with the structural framework of the association.
“I want to be clear this conversation is not about winning or losing. 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 proclaimed.
Collier revealed that she had spoken with Engelbert regarding the discrepancy in pay young players receive. It isn’t right that the WNBA’s biggest revenue generator, Caitlin Clark, is on a measly four-year contract worth $338,056. Apparently Engelbert’s response to the Clark example was in extremely poor taste and dismissive of the player’s rights.
“Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,” Engelbert said, according to Collier.
Now, if it weren’t for young stars such as Clark and Paige Bueckers, the WNBA wouldn’t be receiving the amount of success it currently is. Since Clark entered the WNBA, the league has witnessed a 300% increase in viewership.
There is a visible causality at play, which seems to have made the WNBA richer. Unfortunately, those numbers aren’t trickling down enough to reach Clark, and others like her.
Collier’s statement will surely get people speaking about the WNBA’s leadership, especially in light of these callous remarks by Engelbert. The next step is to see how the commissioner decides to handle this situation in the coming days.
