Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasts the WNBA: 'The worst leadership in the world'

MINNEAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier entered the Lynx end-of-season press conference Tuesday with a walking boot on her left foot and, in her hands, a prepared statement calling the WNBA’s front office “the worst leadership in the world.”

The Lynx star, who finished the playoffs sidelined because of injury, criticized WNBA leadership for negligent officiating and, more broadly, a lack of accountability to its players and transparency to the public.

“The real threat to our league isn’t money. It isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play,” Collier said at the team’s practice facility. “It’s the lack of accountability from the league office.”

Collier’s statement comes as the WNBA Players Association and the league are in the throes of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement this offseason. Player salaries and revenue sharing are two points of contention, among others.

Collier, who is a vice president of the WNBA Players Association, clarified that “I’m sure other people feel this way, but I want to be clear, I’m speaking for myself.”

Having rolled her ankle after a steal from Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas led to the pair’s knees colliding late in Game 3 Friday, Collier confirmed that she had “a couple torn ligaments, torn shin muscle, with no broken bone” and would not have been able to continue playing if the Lynx had made the Finals. The Lynx lost Game 4, and the series, on Sunday without her and suspended coach Cheryl Reeve.

“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,’ ” said Collier. “But what’s truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games.”

Collier co-founded Unrivaled, a player-owned 3-on-3 basketball league, with New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart. That league runs during the WNBA’s offseason and Collier’s husband, Alex Bazzell, is the president.

The five-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist recalled Unrivaled’s attempts to be “really transparent with the players,” including meetings between officials and players on how tournaments would be officiated and what players thought about the league’s set up.

“If I didn’t know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn’t feel this way, but unfortunately for [the WNBA], I do,” Collier said.

Collier said at Unrivaled in February she sat across from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and asked how she planned to address officiating issues that “coaches both winning and losing point … out every night in pregame and postgame media.”

Her response, said Collier, was “only the losers complain about the refs.”

Collier said she also asked about how young stars on rookie contracts — like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers — could be capped at a salary of $78,831 while “driving massive revenue for the league.” Unrivaled’s average salary in its first year was a stated $220,000.

Engelbert’s response, claimed Collier, 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.”

“For too long, I have tried to have these conversations in private, but it’s clear there is no intention of accepting there’s a problem,” said Collier, who reasserted her statement was “not about winning and losing.”

The WNBA issued a statement later Tuesday in which Engelbert said, “I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”

Alanna Smith, who conducted her exit interview after Collier, said that other Lynx players were aware of Collier’s plan to call out the league and that “we back everything that’s being said.”

Reeve said she did not know the content of Collier’s prepared statement but, when informed, said, “Who Phee has become, as a player and a person, in this league is really important. Her voice is important.”

Reeve was fined a reported $15,000 and suspended for Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals for confronting officials after Collier’s injury and, in her postgame press conference, lambasting the league’s officiating.

Collier said the league needed “good officials who aren’t using the WNBA as a stepping stone to get to the NBA” and they “have to pay them accordingly” to do so.

“I’m sure that they will fine me,” Collier said during follow-up questions. “Seems like anything with free speech is a fine now.”

Asked if a player lockout and play stoppage was a possibility as the CBA negotiations continued, Collier said that players don’t want that “but we have to stand on our principles” as the league revenue, viewership and team evaluations continue to grow.

“We have the most power that we’ve ever had in the history of sport, the history of women’s sports, in the history of our specific sport,” Collier said. “All this money that they’re talking about is non-existent without the players.”

“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.”