Kyler Gilliam, Staff Writer

Sept. 20, 2025 — The pipe bomb heard around the professional sports world.

A day after being eliminated from the 2025 WNBA playoffs, All-WNBA forward Napheesa Collier went in front of the media. She donned a walking boot on her foot from an injury she suffered during crunch-time play, where a possible foul call would’ve protected her the night before.

Collier eviscerated the current WNBA leadership for four minutes and 19 seconds, mainly discussing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the issues of fair pay, officiating, player safety and accountability from the League office.

Her comments about Engelbert were the most scathing, revealing a private conversation they shared in February at an event for Unrivaled, a basketball league co-founded by Collier. Engelbert allegedly stated players should “be on their knees” because of their new media rights deal.

Engelbert also said players such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who are creating interest for the league due to their popularity in college, should be “thankful” the WNBA gives them a platform to further monetize themselves, according to Collier.

Clark and Reese drew 2.7 million viewers during their regular-season matchup on May 17, the WNBA’s largest total view count in the past 25 years. Clark was also responsible for 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity during the 2024 season, amounting to almost $900 million, according to Yahoo Sports.

Engelbert allegedly disregarded Collier’s attempt to highlight the deficiencies with officiating, saying only “losers” complain about officials. 

Many current players, such as four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Sophie Cunningham, alongside Clark and Reese, agree with Collier’s comments and have exposed the distrust between the players and league leadership.

“I’m going to ride with [Napheesa] always,” Wilson said. 

Though Collier left a wasteland in the wake of her comments, it was necessary. The WNBA’s current infrastructure must be rebuilt to coincide with the league’s growing popularity, which cannot be done without sweeping changes.

The WNBA and its players are in a great position to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, which will ensure better pay, benefits and eliminate the need to play overseas during the offseason. 

Those talks stalled during the season, and the rocky relationship between Engelbert and players show that if nothing changes, a new CBA will not be reached.

If the WNBA continues to fail its players, opportunities elsewhere might poach talent from right under its nose.

Collier’s Unrivaled league will be the WNBA’s main competition. The year-old, player-led league can surely take the WNBA’s spot as the country’s premier women’s basketball league. 

The league announced a name, image and likeness deal with 14 of the best college basketball prospects in July. The “Future is Unrivalled Class of 2025” is headlined by players such as JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd, Lauren Betts and Flau’jae Johnson.

Unrivaled can continue growing its legitimacy by establishing a connection with college athletes and attaching their names to the brand-new league.

Collier’s pipe bomb put everything on the table for the WNBA. The league’s leadership needs to mend its relationship with its players to retain not just their athletes and brand deals, but the community’s respect. 

This is an opportunity for the WNBA to firmly establish itself as the premier location of professional women’s basketball. If they fail, they could lose the top spot — and they might just deserve it.

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