It had been brewing for seven months. By now, we all know how this Cathy Engelbert-Napheesa Collier war, sparked by Collier’s pointed remarks about commissioner  Engelbert, has taken on a life of its own, spawning countless narratives and hot takes. But turns out, that monologue against the WNBA Commissioner wasn’t some random “let’s do it” moment. It had been sitting on Phee’s mind for months, ever since a meeting back in March in Miami. That little detail just surfaced in ESPN’s latest report.

But that was only one of the few eyebrow-raising revelations tucked inside the piece.

One part of the report states:

 “In the hours after Collier’s injury, [Alex] Bazzell and Collier’s agent each made calls to Engelbert, and the messages they left went unreturned, multiple sources say.”

Collier left the court with just 25 seconds left in Game 3 after colliding knees with Mercury star Alyssa Thomas. That even forced Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve to leash out at the referees after a no-call on the play. An outburst that later earned her a suspension for Game 4.

Per ESPN, the only person from the league who reached out to anyone in Collier’s camp was Bethany Donaphin, the WNBA’s head of operations and even that came two days after Collier’s fiery end-of-season presser. Since that press conference was held on September 30, the timeline suggests the league waited nearly four days to respond to the initial messages.

Donaphin reportedly left a conciliatory voicemail for Collier, asking if she’d be open to meeting with Engelbert to clear the air. Collier agreed. Later, Engelbert herself texted Collier on Thursday evening, before publicly denying the allegations in her own press statement. But by Saturday, Collier had canceled the meeting.

While there are plenty of opinions floating around about why she did, what fans have really zeroed in on Bazzell reaching out to Engelbert in the first place. 

Fans weigh in on Napheesa Collier’s husband calling the Commissioner

When ESPN dropped its report on the Cathy Engelbert–Napheesa Collier saga, fans were quick to dissect every detail. One comment perfectly summed up the confusion:

“Two things can be true…

1. Cathy stinks.
2. Phee’s husband has absolutely no reason to be dialing the commissioner’s number or demanding any of her time.
   

I really feel like there’s more to this story we just aren’t getting.”

And well, there is more to this story. We can’t deny that. Both sides – Collier and Engelbert – have gone public with their statements. While it’s hard to imagine Collier making such bold claims without some receipts, what’s complicated things further is the fact that it was in the making for months but she reportedly acted without coordination from the players’ association, where she served as vice president. 

Then there’s the part about her husband, Alex Bazzell, reaching out directly to Engelbert, something that hasn’t sat well with many fans. One pointed out, “Agent is fine to call. But this just shows how close and casual Collier and Engelbert are. Husband calling late at night after a game and expecting an answer? Unless he was calling for Unrivaled business, which also muddies this whole thing.”

Considering Game 3 ended late at night, if Bazzell really did call Engelbert right after, it likely wasn’t the first time the two had spoken. That’s where the conflict of interest talk enters the chat. Collier, after all, co-founded Unrivaled with Breanna Stewart, a league that Bazzell now serves as president. Even in her statement, Collier praised her husband’s leadership skills. And if the WNBA faces a work stoppage, Unrivaled stands to benefit the most. They already have a TV deal, sponsors, and a clear vision to establish themselves as a legitimate alternative to the NBA/WNBA monopoly. So yes, some people feeling this hits close to home for Collier is completely understandable.

Others, however, see it differently. One fan wrote, “Name one league where the higher-ups call every player when there’s an injury!” Fair point. While no commissioner personally checks in with every athlete, some argue this isn’t about protocol , it’s about approachability. Players like Sabrina Ionescu have previously said they find it easier to talk to Adam Silver than their own commissioner.

Another fan added, “So the commissioner of the league has to return a call immediately or else??? The delusion in this conversation is remarkable.” Considering the timing, it’s also possible Engelbert wasn’t in a position to respond right away. But still, this isn’t the first time people have accused her of being unresponsive. Former WNBA All-Star and current NFL reporter Stacey Dales also chimed in, saying she received “the cold shoulder” from the WNBA after retirement and never heard back when she tried supporting its expansion efforts in Toronto.

“The NFL treats me so kindly. Not like this,” Dales shared.

Coming back to the main point, fans seem to agree on one simple takeaway: “She didn’t return the call because it wasn’t necessary.” That might just be the most straightforward explanation. The real mystery, though, remains unanswered. “What was Collier’s agent and Bazzell calling Englebert about though? It is about refereeing?” one wrote. Guess we’ll never know. Because alongside Collier’s injury, that play itself raised serious questions about how poor the officiating was and Collier ended up paying the price for it. 

So, was Bazzell calling to talk about that? Or something else entirely? We can’t say for sure. Without solid evidence, it’s hard to pin blame on anyone. And with the Unrivaled connection in the mix, things get even murkier.  But ironically, looking at the bigger picture, you could argue that Collier’s so-called “conflict of interest” might actually be a good thing because it’s putting real pressure on the league.