WNBA Exec Said Caitlin Clark ‘Should Be Grateful’ to League, Napheesa Collier Claims

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier claimed Tuesday that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told her Caitlin Clark “should be grateful” to the league for securing her multiple sponsorship deals.

Collier made the bold statements directed at Engelbert, 60, and the league in a prepared speech she gave during her exit interview at the end of the Lynx’s season on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

In the pre-written address, Collier, 29, slammed the league and discussed a conversation she had with Engelbert in which she challenged the commissioner on the league’s low salaries for young stars like Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers.

“Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she made $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,’ ” Collier claimed to reporters.

In a statement to PEOPLE regarding the comments, the Indiana Fever said that Clark “will not be commenting at this time.”

The Fever said they anticipate Clark’s next media availability to be during her upcoming exit interviews for the season, though the date of those remain uncertain as the Fever are still in contention for the WNBA Finals.

Engelbert said in a statement Tuesday, shared with PEOPLE, that she was “disheartened” by Collier’s comments.

“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”

Collier, who is also the co-founder of the buzzy Unrivaled Basketball league, also claimed during her exit interview that Engelbert said WNBA players “should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal I got them” during her exit interview on Sept. 30.

She also took issue with the officiating in Engelbert’s league and said that while the WNBA is the “best league in the world” with the “the best fans in the world,” it has the “worst leadership in the world.”

Collier’s exit interview quickly circulated on social media, earning reactions from fans and notable names in the basketball world. NBA Today host Malika Andrews told her followers on X it’s “worth listening to every word” of Collier’s statement and praised the Lynx star for her “directness and stunning detail we rarely hear from active players.”

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who is close friends with Clark, reposted a clip from Collier’s interview on X and wrote, “Whew.”