Fever's Lexie Hull Furthers Napheesa Collier's Call for WNBA Leadership Change
Minnesota Lynx star guard Napheesa Collier went scorched earth on the WNBA league office during her September 30 exit interview.
"Let me be clear: This conversation is not about winning or losing. It's about something much bigger. The real threat to our league isn't money, it isn't ratings, or even missed calls or physical play. It's the lack of accountability from the league office," Collier said.
"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. 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," she continued.
Napheesa Collier’s full statement today, where she challenged Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA with directness and stunning detail we rarely hear from active players. Worth listening to every word. pic.twitter.com/IRTvTc52EA
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 30, 2025
"Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders... What's truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games... Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence," she added, before calling for a leadership change regarding officiating and the league office at large.
Collier's comments have spread like wildfire throughout the WNBA on Tuesday, and have surely been shared and spoken about by every team that's still together this late in the season.
Lexie Hull Echoes Napheesa Collier's Viral Comments
Collier's comments certainly were heard in the Indiana Fever's locker room. And standout wing Lexie Hull sent a clear message about what her peer said when addressing the media after Tuesday's shootaround.
"It's exciting to see players speak out and speak up about what's going on in our league, and where our league can go, and changes that need to be made," Hull said, per a video from the Fever's YouTube account. "I know you're talking about Phee's interview, and I think, when it comes down to it, I think I agree with everything she said.
"This is a really important time in the league, and changes need to be made. And so you're seeing her talk about that, and really proud of her for making that statement today," Hull continued. She then added, "We're the players that are driving this change. And regardless of how it's said, I think the messaging stands the same from the player's perspective. Things need to change, reffing needs to change, leadership needs to change."
"We need change to mirror [the league's growth]. And I think where the players see the league going is different than where leadership sees the league going, and somehow [we] need that to align," she added.
When Hull was asked to clarify what she meant about leadership needing to change, she said, "I just think we've got to get to the same point, and come to an agreement somehow. And regardless of how that happens, I think that's in the best interest of both sides."
Props to Hull for backing Collier and echoing her sentiment.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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