Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier started a firestorm on Tuesday. Collier called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a lengthy statement that has already drawn plenty of supportive responses. One former player took her own shot at Engelbert amid the chaos.
Former WNBA star Elena Delle Donne joined the chorus of players speaking out against Engelbert.
The two-time MVP posted on Instagram to critique Engelbert.
“It's the care for the human part for me,” she wrote. “I'm still not sure if Cathy knows I retired. Heard from everyone but her.”
Delle Donne retired from the WNBA back in April just before the start of the 2025 season. She received a supermax contract offer from the Mystics but decided to retire at the age of 36.
WNBA players from across the league have stood up in support of Collier after she blasted Engelbert in her exit interview on Tuesday.
“We have the best league in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said. “Year-after-year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.”
Officiating has been under the microscope for the entire 2025 WNBA season. However, it increased during the playoffs.
The Lynx know better than any other team.
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected from Game 3 against the Mercury after going off on officials following a missed call.
The play in question resulted in Collier having “a couple torn ligaments” in her knee and missing the rest of the series. Reeve was also suspended for Game 4, which Minnesota lost against Phoenix.
This drama could not have come at a worse time for Engelbert or the WNBA.
The league is currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the WNBPA. Both sides do not seem close to an agreement with an October 31st deadline looming.
If a new CBA agreement is not reached by then, the WNBA risks a lockout.
This storyline will be one to watch throughout the rest of October. It also threatens to draw some attention from the WNBA Finals series between the Mercury and Aces.
