WNBA Commissioner Speaks Out After Napheesa Collier Criticism, 'Lot Of Inaccuracy Out There'

The commissioner of the WNBA spoke out on Friday about some recent remarks from WNBA Players Association head Napheesa Collier, and was intent on redirecting with her rebuttal. 

Collier in her recent exit interview did not mince words on her, and apparently many players' feelings towards WNBA leadership. Addressing everything from officiating, injuries, and the product on the court, Collier thoroughly roasted league commissioner Cathy Engelbert. 

"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. "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."

"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," she added.

RELATED: Napheesa Collier Torches WNBA Commissioner: 'Worst Leadership In The World'

Collier also claimed that Engelbert told her that superstars like Caitlin Clark should be grateful for the league helping her earn more money. Even though the WNBA has often seemed antagonistic towards Clark, and much of her fame and financial success came before she reached the league. 

On Friday, ahead of the start of the WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces, Engelbert responded.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks during a presser before the start of game one of the 2025 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena on Oct, 3, 2025. Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Cathy Engelbert Mostly Denies Collier's Comments

During her press conference ahead of the WNBA finals, Engelbert was asked about Collier's remarks, and said there's been "a lot of inaccuracy" in media reports about it. 

ESPN's Malika Andrews asked Engelbert directly about one of Collier's more incendiary claims: "Did you in fact say that, ‘players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the rights deal that I got them?'"

"There's a lot of inaccuracy out there through social media and all this reporting," Engelbert replied. "And so I think what's most helpful is to focus on, I have been in touch with Napheesa. We've exchanged texts. We're talking next week. So I think obviously a lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracies about what I said or what I didn't say. And I will tell you, I highly respect the players. There's a lot of emotion and passion going on right now because we're in collective bargaining. We're in the WNBA finals. And so I'll leave it there. I mean, I'm just obviously disheartened. I'm a human too. I have a family. I have two kids who are devastated by these comments. And so all I'll say is just, it's obviously been a tough week. And I just think there's a lot of inaccuracy out there."

Engelbert was also asked about whether she's the right person to continue leading the WNBA into the future. One report had suggested that she would step down after the league determines its new CBA after it expires on October 31. But she was quick to deny that report as well.

"I certainly, that's another inaccurate statement out there that everybody reads and takes clickbait on," she replied. "Obviously, I've never been a quitter. I'm entering my 40th year, actually this month in business. Never been a quitter, never shied away from tough situations. I think leadership, the cream always rises to the top. And I've always been someone who believes in the fact that we have, if there's things we need to fix, we're gonna fix them. If there's things the players have a perspective on that they don't like that we're doing or I'm doing, we'll fix them in the league. So I think there's a point in time when obviously there's, and I said, emotion, passion, whatever you want to call it, about what's going on right now. The league has grown enormously over the last five years. It's incredible what these players have done day in and day out, and they deserve all the credit. But as I said, my staff and the staff of the teams and the owners in this league have made tons of investments to get to where we are today. And so I'm not gonna shy away. I'm the commissioner of this league, the leader of this league. I think we've accomplished a lot, but we have a lot more hard work to do. There's so many more things we can do together, and I hope that the players see that. And I'm certainly looking forward to meeting with them in the off season as we get to the next level, especially with so many great things that are going to happen in the office season into next season."

While she described things as "inaccurate," Engelbert didn't specifically deny some of Collier's claims, particularly about Caitlin Clark. As yet more evidence of Clark's importance, the league's finals start Friday night, and there's little-to-no interest among the general sports public. Get-in tickets were laughably cheap, as low as $35. There's little social media discussion about it. While the league has grown, the only hope it has of continuing its momentum is supporting Clark and promoting her. How Engelbert handles it will determine her legacy.