Unrivaled is everything players wish the WNBA could be.

So, it wasn’t exactly shocking when someone like Paige Bueckers jumped in even before she made it to the league. The trust the No. 1 overall pick placed in the 3×3 setup spoke volumes, and she wasn’t alone. Fourteen top college hoopers followed suit, signing NIL deals with Unrivaled.

Among the headliners was Flau’jae Johnson. We already knew she believed in co-founder Napheesa Collier’s vision, but now she’s doubling down and explaining exactly why she would trust anything Phee says.

Collier made major headlines when she called out WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert during her 2025 season exit press conference. The Minnesota Lynx star didn’t hold back, blasting the league’s leadership for repeatedly ignoring player concerns. “The worst leadership” is what she called the front office. That moment sparked a wave of support across the league, with players rallying behind Collier for speaking out.

And now, that support’s extending to college arenas too. When Johnson was asked about the WNBA, the ongoing CBA talks, and Collier’s powerful remarks, her reaction said it all.

“Man, she ate that,” Johnson said. “I feel like when (Collier) speaks, you really listen because she’s not a person that’s, like, super talkative. She owns a company, so she has to have some type of integrity behind what she’s saying.”

And that’s exactly it. Collier isn’t known for outbursts. She’s calm, composed, and carries herself with quiet authority. As a businesswoman and the vice president of the WNBPA, she usually keeps things professional. So when she lashes out, you know something’s deeply off.

As Lynx star later explained, “For so long, we tried to have these conversations and move the needle in those meetings that we would have with the league within our leadership. And I saw nothing was changing. I think I just got to the point where I was fed up.”

Johnson gets it. She also added how it hits hard because “that’s going to be her next year.” Projected No. 5 by ESPN, she’s set to go pro next year. The new CBA the league’s working toward could redefine what life looks like for players like her, from better pay and benefits to ending the need to play overseas during the offseason. But if the tension between Engelbert and the players continues, that progress might stall. Still, when the changes do come, Johnson’s generation will be the first to reap the rewards.

So it’s no surprise she’s standing with Phee,  just like nearly every other player in and around the league right now. And she isn’t alone in the college basketball world. 

Dawn Staley steps in: “Both Phee [Napheesa Collier] and Cathy are playing their sides.”

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley knows a thing or two about being in the middle of a shifting era for women’s basketball. So when Napheesa Collier’s fiery criticism of WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert set the league abuzz, it was only a matter of time before someone asked Staley what she thought.

Staley offered her signature mix of perspective and poise. “It sounds like it’s personal in her perspective of the situation. And I think people have to understand they’re negotiating, right?” she said. “So in negotiations, like any other issues that come up, there’s always going to be an emotional attachment to it and then there’s facts. Once we get down to the facts, I do think it’s going to get done.”

Staley didn’t pick a side. Instead, she acknowledged both. “I think it was brave of Phee to step out there and put her name on the line when it comes to where the players stand. And at the same time, you look at Cathy Engelbert and I don’t think there’s another commissioner that has accomplished what she has for the state of women’s professional basketball.”

Coming from someone who played in the WNBA from 1999 to 2006,  a time when opportunities for women’s basketball players were scarce, her words carry weight. Staley often recalls that growing up, she dreamed of the NBA because the WNBA didn’t even exist yet.  Now, she’s witnessing a generation of women fighting not just for the right to play, but for fair pay, better conditions, and lasting change.

And she’s right about Engelbert, too. While many players have lost faith in the commissioner, she’s fulfilled most of the promises she made.  Some even argue Engelbert is being used as a scapegoat, with the real issues lying within larger ownership structures. Ultimately, both sides seem to agree on one thing: the WNBA’s infrastructure must evolve alongside its growing popularity. Hopefully, they find common ground soon.