WNBA Finals Overshadowed by ‘Worst Leadership in the World’

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’s first ever best-of-seven Finals beginning Friday. On 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 referring to the league’s commissioner as “the worst leadership in the world.”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 the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, has reached a boiling point in the midst of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.Rather than marveling at whether Las Vegas forward A’ja 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’s integrity under Ms. Engelbert’s leadership when it comes to officiating, player health and safety, and revenue sharing.“Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve 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,” Ms. Collier said on Tuesday. “Whether 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.”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.Ms. Reeve, the coach of the gold medal-winning American women’s 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.“This past February, I sat across from [Ms. Engelbert] and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our, league,” Ms. Collier said. “Her response was, ‘Well, only losers complain about the refs.’”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.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 Ms. Clark “should be grateful. She makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”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: “Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”Ms. Engelbert, the WNBA commissioner since 2019, said she was “disheartened” by Ms. Collier’s comments. “I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA,” she said. “Together 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.”Players around the WNBA rallied around Ms. Collier, who along with New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart launched Unrivaled, an offseason 3-on-3 league where players earned an estimated average salary of $222,222.Ms. Wilson, who won back-to-back MVPs and four of the last six, said she was “disgusted by the comments” attributed to Ms. Engelbert. “I’m very appreciative that we have people like Phee in our committee of our Player’s Association representing us because that’s where we’re going to have to continue to make the push to stand on what we believe in,” she said.Ms. Clark reportedly had no comment about the statements attributed to Ms. Engelbert, but other players like Ms. Reese, Ms. Bueckers, Dearica Hamby, Lexie Hull, and Cameron Brinks used social media to applaud Ms. Collier, whose experience launching Unrivaled along with her husband has given her insight into operating a league.“I won’t pretend the job is easy, but even with all of that on [her husband’s] plate, he always reaches out to players when he sees an injury whether it’s Unrivaled or even during the WNBA season,” Ms. Collier said. “That’s what leadership looks like. It’s the human element. It’s basic integrity, and it’s the bare minimum any leader should embody. But do you know who I haven’t heard from [since her ankle injury]? Cathy. Not one call. Not one text. Instead, the only outreach has come from her no. 2 telling my agent that she doesn’t believe physical play is contributing to injuries.”The WNBA’s current CBA expires on October 31.

WNBA Finals Overshadowed by ‘Worst Leadership in the World’

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