Usually, when a player goes through their exit interview, they reflect on how their season went. Maybe they’ll even give a hint to what they’ll be working on in the offseason. However, as Napheesa Collier took the podium for her exit interview, she put a marker on the entire WNBA. Her explosive comments came with a lot of inside information about her conversations with the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. But it wasn’t just her. After Game 3 of the semifinals, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has also raised some serious questions about the league leadership.

And now, with Napheesa doing a whole exposé, Cheryl Reeve has given her full support to her star player. While talking to the media about Napheesa’s comments, Cheryl Reeve said, “Phee’s voice is an important one. I’m proud of Phee… Who Phee has become as a player and person in this league is important.” 

During her statements, Napheesa Collier had said, “Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pre-game and post-game media. Yet leadership just issues fines and look the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the league is begging to be fixed.” Cheryl Reeve’s dissatisfaction with the league is not new. Throughout the season, she was one of the most vocal coaches against the standard of officiating in the league. And after Game 3, her post-game press conference had a big impact. She had said, “If this is what our league wants, ok. But I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. It’s bad for the game. The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those 3 people semifinal playoff worthy, is f—— malpractice.”. 

Well, being as she is one of the most respected coaches in the league, her comments led the NBA referees to come in support of the WNBA referees. But there was another ripple effect: Cheryl Reeve was suspended for Game 4 by the WNBA. Besides a suspension, she was also fined a whopping $15K, which is reportedly a record-high fine in league history. But Cheryl Reeve wasn’t alone in her protests. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon also supported her. For this, they were also fined $1000.

The WNBA has a history of handing out quick fines for players who publicly call out the officials. In fact, Sophie Cunningham was fined during her first three podcasts. However, many fans and analysts believe that these fines are not a solution. Sure, nobody likes to lose money, but players and coaches also know that the only way change can happen is to keep making the noise. After Napheesa Collier’s statements, the momentum towards change is certainly going to increase. If things don’t change, there is a significant danger of a change in leadership happening sooner rather than later.

Caitlin Clark Declines to Comment After Napheesa Collier’s Revelation

During her statements, Napheesa Collier also revealed a shocking conversation she had with the Commissioner. She revealed, “I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel, and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for the first four years. Her response was. 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.” 

After these comments by Napheesa Collier, many fans were waiting for a response from Caitlin Clark. However, in her trademark fashion, CC declined to comment on this. But if true, such comments by the Commissioner are a very bad sign for Cathy Engelbert’s bid to maintain the leadership. Fans around the league are already calling for her removal and the pressure is ever so high on her. We all know the legion of fans Caitlin Clark has. And at the end of the day, if the fans turn away from the league, there is no other option than replacing Cathy.

With the league set to add 5 more teams by 2030, the owners will not want such hostility between the league’s higher-ups and the players. At the end of the day, running a team is a business and there is a lot of money at stake. And as in any business, there comes a time when some tough decisions need to be made. With her 33-year career in the corporate world, even Cathy Engelbert is aware of that. Now, it will be interesting to see how she navigates all this and finds a way to reduce the hostility with the WNBPA.