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WNBA World Reacts to Napheesa Collier's Epic Call Out of Commissioner

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier made a huge impact with her viral statement on Tuesday.

Logan Struck

May 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) prepares to play the Dallas Wings before a game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
May 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) prepares to play the Dallas Wings before a game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier made headlines on Tuesday, as she used her exit interview as a platform to call out the WNBA and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing enough to change the league for the better.

Collier calls out the WNBA

From consistently poor officiating to a lack of accountability from the league office, Collier did not hold back on Tuesday while giving her spiel. Some notable comments that Collier made include:

  • "The real threat to our league isn't money. It isn't ratings or missed calls or even physical play. It's a lack of accountability from 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."
  • "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. 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."
  • "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."
  • "At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy (Engelbert) and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league. Her response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs.’”
  • "Our leadership's answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines. I'm not concerned about a fine. I'm concerned about the future of our sport."
  • "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."

WNBA world reacts

Of course, Collier's comments caught the attention of every fan across the basketball world, especially those directly involved. A handful of WNBA players reacted to Collier's statement and showed their support for what she had to say to Engelbert and the league office.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, who Collier mentioned in her rant, showed her support, saying, "10/10. No notes!"

"Phee speaks for me.. 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️," Phoenix Mercury's Kalani Brown posted.

Another Chicago Sky star, Elizabeth Williams, also made sure to support, posting on her Instagram story, "Sharing every clip! Thanks for speaking up [Napheesa Collier]."

New York Liberty forward also posted to say, "Standing with Phee 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽."

Three-time WNBA All-Star and LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby also thanked Collier for standing up against the league, posting, "[Napheesa Collier] 💎 thank you for your bravery!!!!!!"

"🗣️🗣️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽," three-time WNBA champion and Washington Mystics fowrard Alysha Clark posted.

Two-time WNBA MVP and women's basketball legend Elena Delle Donne also posted to her Instagram story to show support, saying, "The Queen has spoken! It's the care for the human part for me. I'm still not sure if Cathy knows I retired. Heard from everyone but her."

This is one of the more telling reactions, as even though one of the greatest players in league history retired, the commissioner of the league never reached out to her in any capacity.

Before the Indiana Fever's win-or-go-home Game 5 on Tuesday, standout guard Lexie Hull and head coach Stephanie White were also asked about Collier's statement (via Alexa Philippou).

"I think I agree with everything she said. We're at 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 said.

"I have a lot of respect for Phee. ...I'm thankful that we have strong women that are willing to say the things that matter and say the things that will move the needle for change," White responded.

However, Collier's outreach did not stop there, as even NBA star Tyrese Haliburton chimed in with a simple, "Whew."

There were plenty of other WNBA players who showed their support by simply reposting Collier's message on Instagram, as the Lynx star seemingly has most of the basketball world backing her as she enters a significant fight against the league and Cathy Engelbert.

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Logan Struck
LOGAN STRUCK

Logan Struck is a writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's On SI since 2023

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