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The Brutal Fallout Between Napheesa Collier, Cathy Engelbert Has Already Started

The saga between Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has taken a turn.

Grant Mona

Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) looks on against the Golden State Valkyries in the second half during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) looks on against the Golden State Valkyries in the second half during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The deteriorating relationship between WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Minnesota Lynx superstar Naphessa Collier has taken another concerning turn just weeks before the league's collective bargaining agreement expires.

The back-and-forth began Tuesday when Collier delivered one of the most direct attacks on a league and its commissioner in sports history during her season-ending exit interview. She declared that the WNBA has “the worst leadership in the world” and accused league officials of batting an eye at officiating issues.

Players across the league quickly rallied behind Collier, and the players' union even issued a statement supporting the Lynx superstar, saying her words “speak to the feelings and experiences of many, if not most or all of our members.”

Meeting Called Off

Napheesa Collier has cancelled her scheduled meeting with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert next week, according to ESPN. The decision marks a significant rise in tensions between players and league leadership at the worst possible time for negotiations.

The meeting cancellation stems from Engelbert's press conference on Friday, where she strongly refuted Collier's account of a private conversation between the two in February.

Collier had said that Engelbert told her that Caitlin Clark and other stars across the WNBA “should be on their knees” in thanks for the platform that the WNBA provides.

Engelbert of course, denied those comments, saying that they were filled with "inaccuracies."

ESPN also reported that Engelbert's comments at her press conference have “pretty much pushed the relationship beyond repair.”

CBA Negotiations Loom

Collier serves as the vice president of the players' union and will be directly involved in the CBA negotiations after the season, so the fallout could not have come at a worse time for both parties.

The negotiations are at risk of being completely derailed due to the complete breakdown of trust between the commissioner and the most significant union leader, as the CBA is set to expire on October 31. What might have been resolved through basic dialogue will now have to be done through official negotiations.

Engelbert did say Friday she has work to do rebuilding the trust of the players but expressed confidence that she could get it done.

The meeting being canceled makes it look like the next steps may be much harder to take than she thought.

As the due date gets closer, the WNBA is dealing with not only contract talks but also a major leadership crisis at a time when the league is at its most popular.

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Grant Mona
GRANT MONA

Grant Mona is a multimedia sports journalist based in Los Angeles, covering multiple teams. He is a co-host and producer on The Sporting Tribune Today on The BET Las Vegas, KIRN 670 in Southern California and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network. He formerly played baseball with the University of the Pacific Tigers.

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