The Las Vegas Aces are on the brink of dynasty status, chasing their third championship in the last four years as they battle the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA\u2019s first ever best-of-seven Finals beginning Friday. One the court, it should be a celebration of history in the making. Instead, the league is embroiled in controversy with one of its best players calling the commissioner, \u201cthe worst leadership in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is supposed to be the best of times in the WNBA which enjoyed another banner season of record attendance, media exposure and growing star power despite Caitlin Clark missing half of the year with injuries. But tension between the players and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has reached a boiling point in the midst of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n
Rather than marveling at whether Las Vegas forward A\u2019ja Wilson, who recently claimed her fourth Most Valuable Player Award, can cement her legacy with another ring, the league is dealing with the aftermath of Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier publicly questioning the league\u2019s integrity under Ms. Engelbert\u2019s leadership when it comes to officiating, player health and safety, and revenue sharing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I\u2019ve been in the league, you\u2019ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity with which it operates,\u201d Ms. Collier said <\/a>on Tuesday. \u201cWhether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms. Collier, who serves as vice president of the WNBA players association, read her statement after the top-seeded Lynx were eliminated by Phoenix in the semifinals. Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve missed the deciding Game 4 after being suspended by the league for her actions and comments in Game 3. Ms. Reeve was ejected in the final seconds of the game for berating officials about a no-call that led to Ms. Collier suffering an ankle injury that forced her to miss Game 4.<\/p>\n Ms. Reeve, the coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. women\u2019s basketball team, had to be restrained by her coaching staff, and nearly charged a fan while on her way to a profanity-laced press conference about the officiating, which has frustrated players and coaches throughout the season.<\/p>\n \u201cThis past February, I sat across from (Ms. Engelbert) and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our, league,\u201d Ms. Collier said. \u201cHer response was, \u2018Well, only losers complain about the refs.\u201d<\/p>\n The players are also frustrated by the slow pace of the CBA negotiations where the union is looking for significant increases in salaries, especially for rookies who currently earn about $76,000.<\/p>\n Ms. Collier recalled a conversation she had with Ms. Engelbert about the rookie-wage scale, pointing to high-profile newcomers like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. Ms. Collier said Ms. Engelbert responded by saying, \u201c(Ms. Clark) should be grateful. She makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn\u2019t make anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms. Collier, a five-time All-Star, added that Ms. Engelbert took credit for the $2 billion media rights deal the league signed last year, telling the Lynx star \u201cPlayers should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms. Engelbert, the WNBA Commissioner since 2019, said she was \u201cdisheartened\u201d by Ms. Collier\u2019s comments. \u201cI have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA,\u201d she said<\/a>. \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