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During her availability of the season with media accessibility on Tuesday, Minnesota Lynx expressed Napheesa Collier her complaints with WNBA’s leadership.
Collier criticized League Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and suggested that she had been “negligent” in her administration. “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.
Commentator Stephen A. Smith supported Collier and urged Engelbert to resign his leadership role. “I want to know how the hell someone said something similar about you as a commissioner,” Smith said in the latest edition of ESPN’s “First Take.”
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WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks at a news conference before Games 1 of Basketball’s WNBA final between Connecticut Sun and The Washington Mystics, in Washington, DC, on September 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
“Whether it was David Stern or Adam Silver or Roger Goodell or Paul Tagliabue, could you imagine? Imagine a commissioner being called such directly and that the shy, warm statement. She looks guilty like hell. And then I look at it, I said you really didn’t say it?
Lynx’s Napheesa Collier shines against WNBA leadership, calls for officating changes
Smith also suggested that Engelbert had placed in such a way that she would not be able to negotiate in good faith in the future. The threatening season is likely to be defined by the outcome of negotiations on collective negotiation agreement between the league and the players’ association.
“And for the Commissioner to return with it, 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 only on the player side, but on the league side. She’s not good at basketball. Star player in the league, the league it is a commissioner, this individual, this individual, is is, is at the end of the day, you have a star player in the league the league that the leading commission this individual is in the individual is in that way is at the end of the road for all of us.
Stephen A. Smith looks at before a game between Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics on November 19, 2021 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Collier, Vice President of WNBPA, reprimanded Engelbert on several fronts. She expressed frustration over WNBA officially, referring to the damage she suffered from Lynx’s semi -final series against Phoenix Mercury. The judges do not whistle Mercury tip Alyssa Thomas for a mistake after she came in contact with Collier. The non-call was given a strong reaction from Lynx head trainer Cheryl Reeve.
After a confrontation on the field with officials, Reeve was pushed out. She was later fined by WNBA for criticizing judges and accusing leadership of committing “malpractice” for having allowed the officials to call the playoffs.
Minnesota Lynx Main coach Cheryl Reeve looks at in the third quarter of their game against Las Vegas Acer at Michelob Ultra Arena on August 2, 2025. (Candice Ward/ Imag photos)
“If that’s what the league wants, OK, but I’d like to call a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officating,” Reeve said after Lynx’s 84-76 loss last Friday. “The official crew that we had tonight, for the management that considers these three people semi-final playoff worthy, it’s F — ing Malpractice.”
Engelbert has been a commissioner since 2019.
On Tuesday, WNBA announced that it reached an 11-year media rights agreement with the US Network. The agreement gives the cable network the TV rights to at least 50 matches per year. Season that begins in 2026. The United States will also wear selected playoffs and the WNBA final.
WNBA and NBA previously announced an 11-year deal with NBCuniversal, Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.
“Collaboration with Versant and USA Network marks another significant milestone for WNBA’s continued growth,” Engelbert said partially in a statement. Earlier this year, NBC Universal revealed plans to spin the US Network and other cable assets to a new company that is expected to be called verse.
