During her end-of-season media availability on Tuesday, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier expressed her grievances with the WNBA's leadership.
Collier criticized league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, suggesting she had been "negligent" in her stewardship.
"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," Collier said in a prepared statement.
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Commentator Stephen A. Smith backed Collier and urged Engelbert to resign from her leadership role.
"I want to know how the hell somebody said something like that about you as the commissioner," Smith said on the latest edition of ESPN's "First Take."
"Whether it was David Stern or Adam Silver or Roger Goodell or Paul Tagliabue, could you imagine? Imagine a commissioner being called out like that directly and that timid, tepid statement. She looks guilty as hell. And then I'm looking at it, I'm saying, 'Did you really say that? Did you really say that Caitlin Clark should thank the heavenly stars that she wouldn't be worth anything if she wasn't playing in the WNBA? Did you really say that?' I'm sitting back on, like, this girl. … I'm listening because she got very, very specific."
LYNX'S NAPHEESA COLLIER RAILS AGAINST WNBA LEADERSHIP, CALLS FOR OFFICIATING CHANGES
Smith also suggested Engelbert had positioned herself in such a manner that she would be unable to negotiate in good faith going forward. The looming offseason will likely be defined by the outcome of contract negotiations between the league and the players association.
"And for the commissioner to come back with that, you can't have her at the negotiating table talking to players. Basically, Collier said she's in the way of our growth and our development as a league, not just on the player side, but on the league side. She's not good for basketball. Nobody questioned Cathy Engelbert's business acumen now, because we know she knows business. … At the end of the day, you have a star player in the league saying the commissioner, this individual, is in the way of all of us. And that was her statement. I believe she should hand in her resignation."
Collier, the vice president of the WNBPA, rebuked Engelbert on several fronts. She expressed frustration over WNBA officiating, citing the injury she suffered in the Lynx's semifinal series against the Phoenix Mercury. Referees did not whistle Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for a foul after she made contact with Collier. The non-call prompted a strong reaction from Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
After an on-court confrontation with officials, Reeve was ejected. She was later fined by the WNBA for criticizing referees and accusing leadership of committing "malpractice" for allowing the officials to call the playoff game.
"If this is what the league wants, OK, but I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating," Reeve said after the Lynx's 84-76 loss last Friday. "The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinal-playoff worthy, it's f---ing malpractice."
Engelbert has been commissioner since 2019.
On Tuesday, the WNBA announced it reached an 11-year media rights deal with the USA Network. The agreement gives the cable network the broadcast rights to at least 50 games per season beginning in 2026. USA will also carry select playoff games and the WNBA Finals.
The WNBA and NBA previously announced an 11-year agreement with NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.
"Partnering with Versant and USA Network marks another significant milestone for the WNBA's continued growth," Engelbert said in part in a statement.
Earlier this year, NBCUniversal unveiled plans to spin off the USA Network and other cable assets into a new company, which is expected to be called Versant.
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