While the WNBA Finals are in full swing right now (the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury face each other for Game 3 on October 8), the biggest story in women’s basketball by far right now is the ongoing saga that stemmed from Napheesa Collier’s scathing comments about WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert last week.
Her claims about what Engelbert allegedly said to her earlier this year (that ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,’ and that, ”Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars, for the media right deal that I got them,’) have sparked a lot of controversy.
It has also prompted comments from Engelbert herself, along with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who is technically Engelbert’s boss, about how the league can pick up the pieces of this fractured relationship in the wake of the league office and its players negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement CBA.
Oct 3, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks during a presser before the start of game one of the 2025 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Candace Parker’s Verdict on Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Saga Speaks Volumes
While many members of the women’s basketball community have spoken out about this ongoing saga, one person who hadn’t thus far is WNBA legend Candace Parker. But she shared a clear stance about everything going on during an October 8 episode of her Post Moves podcast.
After recapping everything that has happened regarding Collier, Engelbert, and Silver to this point, Parker said, “What was interesting was the amount of players that came to the defense of Phee, and the crickets that came to the defense of Cathy for me.”
She later added, “I think for now, relationships matter… I do think Adam [Silver] is leading in a different way… If the NBA is our blueprint, then we have to look at the from top to bottom. We can’t just choose what we look at that as. And I’ll tell you this: I signed a deal [to broadcast with] Amazon. I got a text from Adam Silver, saying, ‘Congratulations’. I had my third child, I got a text from Adam Silver about my third child. I get a Christmas gift from Adam Silver every year.
“I retired, Adam Silver sent me a text message… I have not heard from Cathy,” she added. She also noted that Engelbert was not present for either of her two jersey retirements this year.
“So I think that Adam Silver understands the process. I don’t know if he understood that Cathy was not doing that, either. And so many players feel that way,” Parker continued. “You still have to have a relationship and be able to reach across the aisle to the players. And I don’t know if anybody can say that she has done a great job at that.”
“You take the leadership role in a demanding position, there are going to be expectations. Especially when there’s money involved… So guess what? The expectations [on Engelbert] have been raised,” she added.
“You can no longer lead with an iron fist. It’s got to be personable, you’ve got to be a human. And so, yeah, I think gone are those days… So kudos to Phee,” Parker concluded.
Props to Parker for being brutally honest about Engelbert’s shortcomings when it comes to relationship building.
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