Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier slams ‘negligent’ WNBA leadership
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DiJonai Carrington and Napheesa Collier (right) watches Minnesota Lynx players warm up before Game 4 of the WNBA semi-final clash against the Phoenix Mercury.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – Minnesota Lynx’s five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier ripped into the Women’s National Basketball Association’s leadership and commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a post-season media conference on Sept 30, accusing the WNBA of a “tone-deaf, dismissive” approach to players.
The comments came after a controversial no-call in the final minute of the Lynx’s semi-final Game 3 against the Mercury on Sept 26, when Collier suffered an ankle injury as Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas stole the ball.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve launched into a tirade against game officials after the incident and blasted them in a post-game press conference.
The WNBA slapped her with a one-game suspension and a league record US$15,000 (S$19,300) fine. The Mercury went on to notch an 86-81 victory in Game 4 on Sept 28 to advance to the WNBA Finals.
“(Officiating) has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates,” Collier told reporters. “They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed – that is negligence.”
Engelbert responded in a statement saying she had “the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA”.
“Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league,” she added.
The remarks come amid increasingly acrimonious collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the league and players, with the current CBA set to expire on Oct 31.
The two sides have been at odds over player pay, the union said in July, with young stars like Caitlin Clark driving new interest in the league and a new media rights deal kicking in next season.
“(Engelbert) told me ‘players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them’,” said Collier, a vice-president of the WNBA players’ union. “That’s the mentality driving our league from the top.”
“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,” added Collier, who accused the league of using fines to suppress players’ and coaches’ criticisms.
Engelbert said she was “disheartened by how Napheesa characterised our conversations and league leadership”.
On the court, the Las Vegas Aces set up a Finals meeting with Phoenix after their 107-98 overtime victory over the Indiana Fever on Sept 30.
The Aces won the semi-final series 3-2 and will make their third trip to the Finals in four years after winning the title in 2022 and 2023. The best-of-seven series will begin on Oct 3 in Las Vegas. REUTERS
