WNBA Star Says League Has ‘Worst Leadership in the World'

The Minnesota Lynx spent most of the WNBA season atop the standings, but were eliminated in the playoffs by an underdog Phoenix Mercury team. The Lynx relied on All-Star forward Napheesa Collier for most of the year, but she suffered a serious ankle injury on a controversial play in Game 4 of the league semifinal series.

That injury would keep her out of the decisive Game 5, effectively ending Minnesota's season without their best player. To make matters worse for the team, head coach Cheryl Reeve was suspended for the final game of the series after protesting the lack of a foul call on the play.

Collier addressed the media on Tuesday for her annual exit interview, and she didn't shy away from her feelings on the WNBA - or the person in charge of it.

What Did Collier Say in Her Exit Interview?

"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 said on Tuesday.

"Since I've been in the league, you've heard the constant concerns about officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity with which it operates."

Collier noted that the inconsistencies in officiating and refs' tendency to let games get out of control are detrimental to the league's overall success. She added that the problem is league-wide, with winning and losing coaches, teams and players speaking to it as a constant issue.

"Our leadership's answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines. I'm not concerned about a fine. I'm concerned about the future of our sport," Collier continued.

"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 explained that her experience with Unrivaled has shown her what leadership can and should look like in the WNBA. The former UConn star co-founded the league with another WNBA star and former Husky in Breanna Stewart.

Calling Out the Commissioner

During her exit interview, Collier also revealed conversations she had with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert during Unrivaled's season in the winter.

"At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league...I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin [Clark], Angel [Reese] and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years," Collier said.

The Lynx star said Engelbert replied to her first inquiry with "Well, only the losers complain about the refs." As for the younger players like Clark, Collier said Engelbert's words were dismissive of her concern.

"Her response was, 'Caitlin should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.'," Collier said.

Clark missed large portions of the 2025 season due to injury, but she was voted to the WNBA's All-Star Game. Before tipoff, she stood in solidarity with her fellow players by wearing a shirt that read "Pay Us What You Owe Us" - a reference to the previously mentioned salary concerns for younger players.

The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement ends on October 31. Given Collier's stance - and the support she's received from her fellow players - it appears that the league is headed toward a lockout.