Open warfare explodes in the WNBA: “The players should be on their knees thanking me”

An earthquake has erupted in the WNBA after one of the league’s most vocal advocates for the growth of women’s basketball, Napheesa Collier, revealed details of a private conversation she had with the commissioner during union negotiations. The league is finalizing plans for the 2025 season but has no guarantees in place for 2026. The current collective bargaining agreement is expiring, and the two sides—players and ownership—remain far apart. A lockout looms.

In this tense climate, Collier, of the Minnesota Lynx, used her team’s elimination from the playoffs to go public, putting the spotlight on commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The move has sparked an outpouring of support for Collier—and intensified the conflict.

After the Lynx’s loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Collier attended her postgame press conference holding a sheet of paper with notes from her discussions with Engelbert. “We have the best fans and the best players,” she said, “but also the worst leadership in the world.” She added, “It feels like free speech is being fined every time we use it.”

Cathy Engelbert took over the WNBA six years ago, replacing president Lisa Borders, but with an expanded title—commissioner—to mirror Adam Silver’s role in the NBA. Engelbert arrived with a sterling résumé, having been the first woman to serve as CEO of Deloitte.

No one expected she’d struggle to manage labor negotiations centered on a seemingly fair demand: that the league’s growth should come with fairer pay. Yet according to Sports Business Journal, the public fallout has left Engelbert’s position in jeopardy. At 60, she is “unlikely to continue leading the WNBA once this storm passes,” the outlet reported. “She hasn’t been able to connect. She’s not someone who builds bridges.”

Collier has become the face of the players’ movement. A college champion and two-time Olympic medalist, she has long worked to elevate women’s basketball. Last year, she co-founded Unrivaled with Breanna Stewart and others—a winter league designed to give American players a chance to earn money at home instead of going overseas.

“We go to war every day to protect the shield of a league that doesn’t value us,”— Napheesa Collier

Collier claimed that her talks with Engelbert often felt like “talking to a wall.” When she raised concerns about officiating, Engelbert allegedly replied, “Only losers complain about that.” On revenue distribution, the commissioner supposedly said, “Players should be on their knees thanking me for the TV deal I got them.”

Collier focused her criticism on how poorly young stars—Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and others—are compensated under their rookie contracts. Engelbert’s alleged response was, “Caitlin should be grateful she’s earning $16 million off the court; without the WNBA platform, she’d have nothing.”That claim, however, doesn’t hold up: Clark had already signed a $30 million Nike deal while still in college. “It’s an insult to our intelligence,” Collier said.

Other players quickly rallied behind her. Caitlin Clark called this “one of the most important moments in league history.” MVP A’ja Wilson declared, “I’m disgusted by what I’ve heard. I’ll always stand with Phee. We’ll keep fighting for what this business truly represents.” Chiney Ogwumike, of the Sparks and also an ESPN analyst, added, “She says she listens, but she hides from the tough conversations.”Time is running out—and so are the communication channels.

Engelbert finally addressed the controversy during her annual press conference before the WNBA Finals—an event completely overshadowed by the turmoil.

“It’s disheartening to hear that some players feel the WNBA, and I personally, don’t care about them or don’t listen. If players don’t feel valued by the league, then we have to do better,” she said.“We value feedback, we hear criticism, and we remain committed to having the difficult but necessary conversations that make us all stronger and better.”She added a personal note: “No one should ever doubt how much I care about this league, this sport, and every single player who makes the WNBA what it is.”

Collier, however, escalated further—announcing that the next scheduled meeting with Engelbert had been canceled, citing a “broken relationship beyond repair.”

What exactly do the players want?

The deadline for negotiations is October 31. Without a deal—or an extension—the players are prepared to strike. The warning signs came in August, when they collectively wore shirts reading “Pay us what you owe us.” Retired legends Elena Delle Donne and Diana Taurasi have publicly supported the new generation, criticizing the league’s meagre salaries.

That’s the crux of the issue: while the WNBA has made progress on the court, its financial growth hasn’t matched. The minimum rookie salary remains paltry; the maximum annual salary is $249,244, and ESPN estimates it might reach $1 million under a new deal—still far below expectations.

Meanwhile, the league’s broadcast revenue is set to triple, jumping from $60 million to $200 million under the new TV contract. The players’ union argues that compensation should reflect that growth. In the NBA, players receive about 50% of basketball-related income, and the WNBPA wants to approach that benchmark—along with revising the pay scale disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Founded in 1998, the WNBPA is led by Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm, with Napheesa Collier serving as one of its vice presidents. Her once-functional relationship with Cathy Engelbert—the WNBA’s counterpart to Adam Silver, whose influence remains crucial since much of the funding comes from the NBA—has now completely broken down. And it’s happening at the worst possible time for women’s basketball.

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