Napheesa Collier was sharply crucial of WNBA management throughout her exit interview on Tuesday. Collier specifically referred to as out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The feedback come because the WNBA makes an attempt to barter a brand new collective bargaining settlement forward of a potential work stoppage in 2026.
Collier stated the WNBA has did not sufficiently deal with points with officiating, compensation for gamers and the state of the general product. Collier additionally alleged that Engelbert instructed her in a personal dialog that famous person Caitlin Clark and different younger standouts “needs to be on their knees” in gratitude for the platform the league has given them.
“Our management’s reply to being held accountable is to suppress everybody’s voices by handing out fines,” Collier stated. “I am not involved a couple of wonderful, I am involved about the way forward for our sport. In some unspecified time in the future, everybody deserves to listen to the reality from somebody who I hope has earned the good thing about the doubt to battle for what is correct and honest for our athletes and our followers.
“We’ve the perfect gamers on this planet. We’ve the perfect followers on this planet, however proper now we’ve got the worst management on this planet. If I did not know precisely what the job entailed, perhaps I would not really feel this fashion, however sadly for them, I do. We serve a league that has proven they suppose championship coaches and Corridor of Fame gamers are dispensable and that is wonderful. It is skilled sports activities, however I can’t stand quietly by and permit totally different requirements to be utilized on the league stage.”
Collier stated Tuesday that she needed to publicize a number of the personal conversations she has had with Engelbert and different WNBA leaders in current months as each side put together to take a seat on reverse sides of the negotiation desk this offseason.
“This previous February, I sat throughout from [Engelbert] and requested how she deliberate to deal with the officiating points in our league,” Collier stated. “Her response was, ‘Properly, solely the losers complain concerning the refs.’ I additionally requested how she deliberate to repair the truth that gamers like [Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers], who’re clearly driving large income for the league and are making so little for his or her first 4 years.
“Her response was, ‘[Clark] needs to be grateful. She makes $16 million off the courtroom as a result of with out the platform that the WNBA provides her, she would not make something.’ And in that very same dialog, she instructed me, ‘Gamers needs to be on their knees, thanking their fortunate stars for the media rights deal that I received them.'”
