WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert responded to withering criticism from Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and said she\u2019s \u201cdisheartened.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA,\u2019\u2019 Engelbert said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 30. \u201cTogether we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Collier, during her end-of-the-season media availability, criticized Engelbert and the “tone-deaf and dismissive approach that our leaders always seem to take” in governing the league.<\/p>\n
“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,” Collier said in a prepared statement on Tuesday. “The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office.”<\/p>\n