Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier held her exit interview on Tuesday and didn’t mince words when discussing WNBA leadership, going so far as to call league commissioner Cathy Engelbert “negligent.”
I want to be clear, this conversation is not about winning or losing. It’s about something much bigger,” Collier began, before continuing with her four-minute-long prepared statement, via Awful Announcing.
“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 in the league office. 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 with 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 a lack of accountability from our leaders.”
Collier also revealed some shockingly dismissive comments from Engelbert stemming from a meeting in Miami between the two.
“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,’” Collier said.
Collier even shed light on some appalling comments Engelbert made about the league’s young stars, including Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark.
“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel and Paige, 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 WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,’” Collier said.
“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.”
It’ll be interesting to see how if the league faces pressure to replace Engelbert in light of Collier’s statement.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.