Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier’s remarks make it clear: The gloves are off

On Tuesday, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier pulled the rug out from under WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Tuesday was supposed to be about the evening’s anticipated Game 5 semifinal matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever, the latest chapter in a postseason that has delivered in spades. 

Instead, during her exit interview for the Lynx, Collier delivered a prepared, blistering four-minute statement targeting the shortcomings of the WNBA league office while also pointedly calling out Engelbert by name. Collier’s words have since reverberated across the entire professional sports ecosystem and in doing so delivered a moment that will surely be remembered as an inflection point in league and player relations.

“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,” she said.  

That Collier was the player to deliver this statement should come as no surprise. It has been clear that she has been harnessing her voice and power as a stakeholder within the sport over the last year. That development was seen during the inaugural season of Unrivaled, and Collier continued to demonstrate that power over the course of the WNBA season. 

We’ve seen the effectiveness of a more diplomatic approach to players advocating for workplace change as recently as the All-Star Game, when players opted to wear “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts during pregame warmups to bring attention to their fight for increased wages in the next collective bargaining agreement. It was a textbook move, one seen before from the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) in the past when they advocated for social justice – and one that proved to be effective in raising awareness to their cause.

It was also during All-Star Weekend that, on the day before the game tipped off, Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins was asked about seeing WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike lead the players during what they unanimously said was a disappointing CBA negotiation meeting with the league.

“How can we support the president and the players in getting our message out,” Diggins said. “If she’s MLK, and I’m Malcolm X, I like to say, because she’s in it, she’s a certain way and she always handles it very presidential. And you know, I follow-up with the residuals, if it’s something outside the lines that needs to be said.”

Perhaps Collier felt her remarks needed to be said – and the status quo needed to shift.

While those methods of advancing the players’ cause had worked previously, at the present moment, that approach had a limit. While Collier’s statement on Tuesday was no less measured than any other made by players before her – particularly those involved in negotiations surrounding the CBA – the direct, even combative tone of her remarks simply felt like the gloves HAD to come off.

By the reaction from current players such as Dearica Hamby and Angel Reese, and even past players like Elena Delle Donne, instead of appearing to go rogue, it would appear Collier moreso said what others have wanted to all along. With a boot on her left ankle and the sting of how her season ended still fresh, Collier was willing to go there.

Collier’s statement comes several days after a controversial play at the end of Game 3 resulted in her tearing ligaments in her ankle. The incident led to the ejection of Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who then railed against league officiating and the perceived inaction of the league office.

“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 in which it operates,” Collier said Tuesday. “Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage.”

Engelbert later released a statement in response to Collier.

“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game,” Engelbert said. “I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”

With the playing conditions in the WNBA deemed unsuitable while both sides seemingly have reached a negotiating impasse, Collier made the decision to apply pressure to the league at one of its most visible moments.

If nothing else, Collier’s statement, and the public support she has received from her peers, should be every indicator to the league office that this generation of WNBA players will do what’s needed to reach its goal – by any means necessary.