Napheesa Collier didn’t mince phrases in her criticism of WNBA leadership, together with commissioner Cathy Engelbert, saying Tuesday in her season-ending exit interview that “right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.”
Collier, a famous person with the Minnesota Lynx who simply completed her seventh season in the WNBA, learn out loud to reporters a press release she had ready – pointedly coming down strongly on the league and the commissioner.
“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,” Collier stated.
“Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the fixed issues about officiating, and it has now reached ranges of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates.
“Whether the league cares about the well being of the gamers is one factor, however to additionally not care about the product we put on the flooring is really self-sabotage.
“Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.”
NCS has reached out to the WNBA for remark on Collier’s remarks.
WNBA Shoots for Fair Play
The Lynx, the high seed in the WNBA playoffs, misplaced to the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals Sunday in 4 video games. Minnesota was with out Collier, who had suffered an ankle harm late in Game 3 on Friday when she and Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas collided as Thomas collected a steal.
Minnesota additionally was lacking head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended for Sunday’s Game 4 due to her feedback and conduct towards officers throughout Game 3. Reeve was ejected late in the fourth quarter of that Game 3 contest.
“The league has a buzzword that they’ve rolled out as talking points for the CBA as to why they can’t give the players what we’re worth. That word is sustainability,” Collier stated. “But what’s really unsustainable is conserving an excellent product on the flooring whereas permitting officers to lose management of video games.
“Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media. 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.”
Also in her remarks Tuesday, Collier stated that in February, she met with Engelbert and requested the WNBA commissioner how she deliberate to deal with the officiating points in the league.
“(Engelbert’s) response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs,” Collier stated.
Collier continued: “I additionally requested how she deliberate to repair the proven fact that gamers like Caitlin (Clark), Angel (Reese) and Paige (Bueckers), who’re clearly driving large income for the league, are making so little for his or her first 4 years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she made $60 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make something.’
“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 stated that February assembly between her and Engelbert was at Unrivaled, a girls’s basketball league in which Collier is a founder and participant. Unrivaled has a media partnership with TNT Sports. TNT Sports is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the dad or mum firm of NCS.
NCS, in its attain out to the WNBA, has requested for a response to those remarks from Collier particularly relating to her assembly with Engelbert. NCS has additionally inquired with the WNBA whether or not Collier can be fined for her remarks Tuesday.
“I’m not concerned about a fine,” Collier stated as a part of her ready assertion to reporters. “I’m involved about the way forward for our sport.
“At some level, everybody deserves to listen to the fact from somebody who I hope has earned the advantage of the doubt to struggle for what is correct and truthful for our athletes and our followers.
“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.”