Napheesa Collier-Cathy Engelbert beef, explained: Why Lynx star blasted WNBA for ‘worst leadership in the world'

Jake Mozarsky

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Napheesa Collier-Cathy Engelbert beef, explained: Why Lynx star blasted WNBA for ‘worst leadership in the world' image

Only a few days after the Minnesota Lynx's season ended, their superstar Napheesa Collier has blasted the WNBA office.

In her exit press conference on Tuesday, Collier read a statement, calling out the league for the issues surrounding officiating. She said that there is a constant problem with the league office with a "lack of accountability."

"Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media," Collier said in the statement.  "Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence."

Here's why Collier issued the statement and more surrounding the WNBA office and officiating.

MORE: Why A'ja Wilson won WNBA MVP over Napheesa Collier

What did Napheesa Collier say about the WNBA?  

During her season-ending exit interview on Tuesday, Minnesota Lynx star Collier delivered a blistering, multi-point critique of the WNBA’s leadership, notably calling Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's governance the "worst leadership in the world."

Collier, who serves as the Vice President of the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) executive committee, focused on a lack of accountability from the league office regarding several critical issues, including player health, officiating and compensation.

On the officiating front, Collier stated that the league has failed to address persistent complaints about inconsistent officiating, which she called "negligence" and a form of "self-sabotage" that is undermining the integrity and safety of the game. She said she was "infuriated" that she had not received a call or text from WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert following her recent ankle injury, while the league was trying to downplay the role of physical play in injuries. She was in a walking boot for today's press conference. 

Collier also claimed that the commissioner is dismissive of players' concerns about their low salaries. She alleged that in a private conversation, Engelbert stated that star players like Caitlin Clark "should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything," and that "players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them."

The WNBA star finished her statement by stating that she was tired of trying to have private conversations and felt compelled to use her platform to speak on behalf of the players and fans, claiming, "The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them."

Napheesa Collier statement

Napheesa Collier's season-ending exit interview on Tuesday, September 30, was a highly charged statement read from a prepared text. The speech, which was delivered by Collier in her capacity as an All-Star and Vice President of the WNBPA, called out the WNBA and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for what she termed a systemic "lack of accountability."

Here is the full statement from Collier:

"First of all, I'd like to congratulate the Mercury for advancing to the Finals. 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. 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 the lack of accountability from our leaders. The league has a buzzword that they rolled out as a talking point for the CBA as to why they can't pay the players what we're worth; that word is sustainability. But what's truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games. Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pre- and post-game media. And leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging them to fix. That is negligence. 

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.' 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 $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.'

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. 

I have the privilege of watching my husband run a league where he has to balance 100 different things at once. I won't pretend the job is easy, but even with all of that on his plate, he always reaches out to players when he sees an injury, whether it's Unrivaled or even during the WNBA season. That is what leadership looks like. It's the human element, it's basic integrity, and it's the bare minimum any leader should embody. But do you know who I haven't heard from? Cathy. Not one call, not one text. Instead the only outreach has come from her No. 2 telling my agent that she doesn't believe physical play is contributing to injuries. 

That is infuriating. And it's the perfect example of the tone deaf, dismissive approach that our leaders always seem to take. I've finally grown tired. For too long, I've tried to have these conversations in private, but it's clear there's no intention of accepting there's a problem. The league has made it clear it isn't about innovation, it isn't about collaboration, it's about control and power. I've earned this platform and I paid the price to get here, and now I have a responsibility to speak on behalf of the fans and everyone in this league that deserves better. 

Our leadership's answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines. I'm not concerned about a fine. I'm concerned about the future of our sport. At some point, everyone deserves to hear the truth from someone who I hope has earned the benefit of the doubt to fight for what is right and fair 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 didn't know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn't feel this way, but unfortunately for them, I do. We serve a league that has shown they think championship coaches and Hall of Fame players are dispensible, and that's fine, it's professional sports. But I will not stand quietly by and allow different standards to be applied at the league level.

MORE: WNBA playoff schedule, bracket, latest results

WNBA statement on Napheesa Collier

The WNBA released a statement after Collier's comments on Tuesday, with Englebert saying she has the "utmost respect" for Collier.

Englebert followed it by saying, "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."

Cathy Englebert salary

While her exact salary is not disclosed, her net worth in April 2025 was an estimated $5 million according to MARCA. 

Before becoming WNBA commissioner, Engelbert worked at Deloitte for 33 years, serving as the first-ever female CEO from 2015 to 2019. She reportedly earned a $3 million salary during her time as CEO at Deloitte.

The exact salary for the WNBA Commissioner is not publicly available, but it is separate from the players' salaries.

Jake Mozarsky

Jake Mozarsky joined The Sporting News as an Editorial Intern in August 2025 after earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University. He has previously written for Marquee Sports Network, Chicago This Week, Inside NU and The Daily Northwestern.