Sophie Cunningham: WNBA Leaders ‘Don’t Know Sh*t About Basketball'

Indiana Fever stars Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark threw their support behind Napheesa Collier on Thursday, just two days after the WNBPA vice president ripped Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and league leadership in a scathing exit interview.

Never one to mince words, Cunningham went straight for the neck.

"I’m just tired of our league," Cunningham said. "They need to step up and be better. Our leadership from top to bottom needs to be held accountable."

Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham weighed in on WNBA leadership during Thursday's exit interviews.

(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

While she didn’t name Engelbert at first, Cunningham didn’t hold back when asked about Collier’s comments — calling the WNBA’s leadership "shameful" and accusing the commish of making everything "about her."

"I think there are a lot of people in the position of power in the WNBA," Cunningham said. "They might be really great business people, but they don’t know sh*t about basketball, and that’s got to change."

Sophie Cunningham: ‘They’re Failing Us As A League’

Cunningham also expressed frustration with the league’s unwillingness to address the season-long officiating crisis. She described WNBA games as "a battlefield" and said it’s become "the only way to survive."

"It’s like a battlefield out there," she said. "But we [the players] are agreeing on the court because of how awful the officials are. That’s saying something.

"Everyone’s just trying to kill each other, because that’s how you’re going to survive. Otherwise, you’re going to get injured."

Cunningham said the WNBA's failure to act has ruined the quality of the product and put players at risk.

"Like, listen to us. We’re not going to come for your heads, but I think there is room for improvement, to change the criteria when the whole league is asking for it," she said. "But leadership isn’t doing anything about it. Why?"

She concluded: "They’re failing us as a league — definitely failing us as players."

Caitlin Clark Backs Napheesa Collier In Exit Interview

Clark, who missed most of the season due to injury, also weighed in Thursday, saying Collier "made a lot of very valid points" and calling this "straight up the most important moment in this league’s history."

"I have great respect for Phee," Clark said. "This is a moment we have to capitalize on."

MORE: Stephen A. Smith Joins Growing Chorus Calling For WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert To Resign

Clark confirmed she had not heard from the commissioner since Collier’s statement and said, "we need great leadership in all levels."

Among Collier’s most explosive claims: Engelbert allegedly told her Clark should be "grateful" for the WNBA and that she "wouldn’t make anything" without it.

Clark said she had never heard that story before, but when asked about it, she didn’t deny its possibility. Instead, she spoke about the new era of athletes building value on their own.

"Young women are beginning to build their brands in college and bringing that to the WNBA," Clark said. "We are in the biggest moment in WNBA history. There’s no denying that, everybody knows that."

CBA Deadline Looms Amid Labor Tension

Thursday’s exit interviews come just weeks before the current collective bargaining agreement expires on October 31. The WNBA and its players union are currently at an impasse in negotiations — with many players publicly bracing for a potential lockout.

Cunningham called the idea of delaying the season "the dumbest basketball decision ever."

Fever teammate Lexie Hull, a WNBPA team rep, agreed with Collier’s assessment earlier this week, and hinted Thursday that the league’s next move will show "how the league values us as players and as drivers of [growth]."

At this point, the players are laying it all out there. Whether league leadership chooses to listen — or continues to double down — remains to be seen.