It’s been a week since Napheesa Collier dropped major allegations against the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. The aftermath of those remarks led to a league-wide fallout, with players like Satou Sabally speaking against the WNBA. The situation’s intensity compelled even the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, to weigh in. He stated the WNBA went through some “growth pains” and defended Engelbert by saying, “it’s become too personal and we’re going to have to work through those issues.” Well, players like Satou Sabally couldn’t agree more or care less.

Media members interviewed Sabally during a practice session held a day before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. Adam Silver’s comments remained in her memory as it led the 3x WNBA All-Star to say, “It is very personal because the WNBA wants to forbid us to make a lot of more money than we’re ever going to make here, what it seems like in other leagues. So, it’s very personal. People have families. This is our job. We make more money in China, Russia, Turkey, than here. So, it is very personal, and I don’t think why it should become personal.”

The WNBA has never been a profitable league. Adam Silver once said in 2018 that the WNBA’s losses were roughly $10 million yearly. Reports last fall said the WNBA was due to lose $40 million in 2024. Despite that, several factors, especially the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’, have increased game viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales.

Additionally, the 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal that Cathy Engelbert brought in boasts a projected revenue of $1 billion this year. Even though the league has yet to churn out profit consistently, the players looked to take advantage of the expiring CBA deal and negotiate a better pay package. The players stand united, from speaking out on the issue separately to donning the ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ T-shirts during the WNBA All-Star game.

However, while this fact has been known for quite a while, Napheesa Collier’s comments added a significant dose of fuel to the mild fire. From saying the WNBA has the “worst leadership in the world” to highlighting Cathy Engelbert allegedly saying stuff like ‘Only the losers complain about the refs’ and that Caitlin Clark should be ‘thankful’ for the platform the league has given her, Napheesa Collier put down the WNBA commissioner right smack in the middle of negotiations.

Despite her previous statements, Collier stands firm, as demonstrated by her decision to call off an upcoming meeting with the WNBA commissioner. Several WNBA players have supported Collier, including Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. Therefore, the players refuse to budge even as Adam Silver looks to resolve things before the October 31 deadline for the current CBA.

In such situations, knowing who holds the upper hand is hard. Despite that, every bit of support towards Napheesa Collier counts. After all, even after a week, not everyone has publicly thrown their support behind the 29-year-old.

Rachel A. DeMita highlighted Caitlin Clark’s teammates’ silence on Napheesa Collier’s remarks

A few days ago, WNBA analyst Rachel A. DeMita hosted an ‘impromptu’ episode of her ‘Courtside Club’ show. During the segment, she highlighted the list of players who serve as representatives of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). Amongst them were the Chicago Sky’s Rachel Banam and Ariel Atkins, who had yet to speak up supporting Napheesa Collier’s allegations against Cathy Engelbert. Also on the list was Aliyah Boston, a surprise since she is Caitlin Clark’s teammate.

“Yes, we have heard players be super vocal, but even if you look at…. okay, New York. Sabrina Ionescu is the voice for the New York team. If we look at the Indiana Fever, it’s Aliyah Boston, and then the alternate is Lexie Hull,” said DeMira. “Now, Lexie Hull was somebody who came out and supported Phee, and said that she made a lot of good points. Aliyah Boston was someone who kind of skirted around these questions and tried to make light of everything.”

A major reason why Napheesa Collier’s allegations have garnered attention is that she claimed Engelbert privately told her that Caitlin Clark and other young stars “should be on their knees” in gratitude for the opportunities the league has provided them. From Sophie Cunningham saying, “The disrespect is just crazy to me” to Stephanie White accusing Clark of being used as a ‘pawn’, several Indiana Fever stars’ peers have come out to support her.

Even Clark came out in support of Phee. Therefore, what is stopping Aliyah Boston? Not everyone can win everyone over to a specific issue. However, if a rival player is willing to speak up against the viewpoint of the NBA commissioner for you, then that means something.