WNBA superstar Napheesa Collier and the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx suffered an earlier-than-expected exit in the 2025 playoffs, falling to the No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals.
Late in the Lynx’s 86-81 Game 4 loss to Phoenix, Collier suffered an ankle injury on a controversial no-call that resulted in a fiery sideline outburst from Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve.
Collier took the podium for her postseason exit interview with reporters on Tuesday, beginning the press conference with a lengthy prepared statement bashing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and league leadership.
“Right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said in her statement.
Collier provided several anecdotes about conversations she’s had with Engelbert. One alleged conversation about Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark sparked some serious outrage.
“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin [Clark], Angel [Reese] and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years,” Collier said. “Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.'”
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WNBA fans are furious over these alleged comments from Engelbert, and they voiced their frustration on social media.
“Even for a league as mismanaged as the WNBA, this is still a baffling statement,” one wrote.
“That statement from Engelbert on Caitlin is ridiculous. Who is she kidding?” another asked.
“I had to re-read this quote three times before I believed it. Absolutely stunning to see a high-ranking executive misread their own business like this. Complete idiocy,” another said.
“I fully support all WNBA players and coaches boycotting until @CathyEngelbert (biggest imbecile) resigns,” another wrote.
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Clark entered the league as the Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in 2024. Since then, the All-Star point guard has facilitated countless TV viewership and in-person attendance records for the WNBA, resulting in a massive revenue spike for Engelbert’s league.
That said, Clark’s four-year rookie contract with the Fever is worth approximately $338,000.
“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,'” Collier added. “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.”
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