Napheesa Collier harshly criticizes the WNBA directive: “The worst leadership”
Naphesa Collier, star of the Lynx, said that the WNBA has not adequately addressed the problems with arbitration, the compensation of the players and the general state of the product.
Minneapolis – The star of the Minnesota LynxNapheesa Collier, harshly criticized the WNBA directive in his departure interview on Tuesday, accusing the commissioner of the League, Cathy Engelbert, of being “negligent” in his management.
Naphesa Collier said that the League has not adequately addressed the problems with arbitration, the compensation of the players and the general state of the product. He also claimed that Engelbert told him in a private conversation that the superstar Caitlin Clark and other young promises “should be on his knees” in gratitude for the platform that the league has given them.
“The response of our directive to account is to silence everyone’s voices through the imposition of fines,” said Collier. I am not worried about a fine, I am concerned about the future of our sport. At some point, we all deserve to hear the truth of someone who I hope has won the benefit of the doubt to fight for what is correct and just 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. If I did not know exactly what the work consists of, I might not feel that way, but unfortunately for them, yes. We serve a league that has shown that consider the coaches champions and the players of the Hall of Fame, and that is fine. It is a professional sport, but I will not stay with crossed arms or allow different standards to be applied at the league level.
In an answer on Tuesday, Engelbert claimed to have the maximum respect for Collier, but felt discouraged by how their conversations have been characterized with the Lynx star.
“My goal is still to ensure a brilliant future for players and WNBA, including collaboration to continue raising the game,” said the statement. “I am discouraged how Napheesa described our conversations and the leadership of the league, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and this work will not falter.”
Collier, who said that WNBA’s arbitration failures are a form of “self -taught” by the League, the defeat and elimination of his team was lost in the fourth game against the Phoenix Mercury due to an ankle injury he suffered after a controversial collision with the star of the Phoenix, Alyssa Thomas, in the third game. The main coach of the Lynx, Cheryl Reeve, was expelled after claiming a foul in the play and was subsequently suspended for the fourth game after criticizing the general state of arbitration in the League.
Collier plays a unique role as vice president of the WNBA Players Association and co -founder of Unrivaled, a professional women’s basketball league, which was recently valued at $ 340 million and announced the signing of star players like Paige Bueckers. The possible conflict of interest with the double function of Collier has been the subject of scrutiny at a critical moment for the future of the League.
The league players are in an intense battle with the WNBA while trying to negotiate a new collective agreement. Collier’s words could even more intensify a conversation that could lead to a work strike for the players in 2026.
Collier declared on Tuesday that he wanted to make public some of the private conversations he has had with Engelbert and other WNBA leaders in recent months, while both parties prepare to sit on opposite sides of the negotiating table is preseason. He commented that Engelbert’s alleged words about Clark and other young players … In those private conversations, the words of a WNBA commissioner about the league were not appropriate. Engelbert allegedly told Collier that Clark should be “grateful” with the WNBA, since the commissioner said that the League platform had helped the star of the Indiana Fever to earn money outside the court.
“Last February, I sat in front of (Engelbert) and asked him how I planned to address arbitration problems in our league,” Collier said. “His answer was: ‘Well, only the losers complain about the referees.’
“His answer was: ‘(Clark) should be grateful. He wins $ 16 million out of the court because without the platform offered by the WNBA, he would not win anything.’
On Tuesday, the League announced a multiannual transmission rights agreement with the USA Network, just when the players throughout the league have demanded greater participation in the total income of the WNBA.
Reeve said he wanted to focus on the “celebration” of the season and not on how the year of Minnesota ended. But he also said he supports the players and praised Collier’s leadership.
“Obviously, Collier’s voice is very important,” said Reeve, who added that he does not regret how the season ended because “that is not life.”
If the Lynx had maintained their two -digit advantage against the Mercury in the fourth game and would have won on Sunday, Collier said that his ankle injury would have prevented him from participating in the fifth game. But his approach on Tuesday was not in the past, he said, but in the future.
The WNBA star said she was worried about the next WNBA chapter, which currently allows her players to participate in Unrivaled during the low season. Unrivaled recently signed a group of talented players amid reports that the League obtained $ 30 million in revenues in its first season last year.
Collier also said that he is not worried about the consequences of his comments.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” he said. “That is, it seems that now everything that has to do with freedom of expression is fined.”
