WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has responded to the fiery comments made by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier.
Mere days before the 2025 WNBA Finals tip-off, a vital one-on-one battle is being staged far from the hardwood.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has responded to a scathing review put forth by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier. The five-time All-Star used a good bit of her season-ending availability in Minneapolis to criticize Engelbert’s leadership as the league and its players prepare to embark on a tenuous offseason that is set to be defined by a search for a new collective bargaining agreement.
“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,” Engelbert said in a statement released by the 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.”
One of several vice presidents that sits on the players association’s leaderboard, Collier minced no words in her season-closing statements, claiming the league is run by “the worst leadership in the world” and revealing details from private conversations with Engelbert. Collier’s comments should no doubt raise the tension in the upcoming negotiations, as past and present players alike have concurred with her statements.
Lexie Hull, Players Support Collier’s Criticism of Leadership Amid CBA Talks
Responding on her Instagram story, two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne claimed that Engelbert did not reach out to her upon her official departure from the game in April while Indiana Fever star Lexie Hull backed Collier in pregame statements before her winner-take-all semifinal tilt with the Las Vegas Aces (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), per Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
“I think I agree with everything she said,” Hull said. “We’re at a really important time in the league and changes need to be made, and so you’re seeing her talk about that and really proud of her for making that statement today.”
Former WNBA star Elena Delle Donne spoke out in support of Napheesa Collier speaking out against leadership. Delle Donne also had choice words for Cathy Engelbert
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) September 30, 2025
(Elena Delle Donne/ IG) pic.twitter.com/UyH586Ppoj
Originally set to expire in 2027, the current WNBA collective bargaining agreement expires on Oct. 31, two weeks after the last possible date of the Finals. The biggest issues around the negotiations center upon revenue sharing, with the league receiving several significant windfalls through a new media deal set to tip-off next year, as well as large expansion fees being paid by ownership squads from Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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