This WNBA season has been historic for many reasons, some good and others not so much. Las Vegas Aces star player A’ja Wilson has cemented her legacy, winning her 3rd championship, 2nd finals MVP and 4th regular season MVP, which is the most earned by any player. Other stars like the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers are bringing more attention and media to the league than ever before. However, with this kind of publicity surrounding the league, controversy is bound to tag along.
Earlier this year, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert received a lot of backlash for a leaked conversation she had with Minnesota Lynx All-Star forward Naphesa Collier. Collier recalled a conversation she had with Engelbert at an Unrivaled basketball game.
Unrivaled is a league created by WNBA players for WNBA players. It was created not only to bring more attention to the players but also to generate more money for the players, in hopes to pay them what they believe the WNBA players should earn.
At this Unrivaled game in late February, Collier approached Engelbert about many concerns on behalf of herself and many of her peers in regards to the league’s officiating and pay.
During Collier’s exit interview after the Minnesota Lynx were eliminated from the playoffs, she recalled some of the conversation she and Engelbert had.“I sat across from Cathy [Engelbert] and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league,” Collier said.
Collier then quoted Engelbert.
Engelbert responded, “Well only the losers complain about the refs.”
Earlier this season on July 19, 2025 at the WNBA All Star game, some of the league’s best players went viral for wearing shirts that said, “Pay Us What You Owe Us” on the front, with the Women’s National Basketball Player Association (WNBPA) logo right under these words. It is clear, players are not happy with the amount of money they are receiving from the league’s front offices, with many players highlighting the Player Revenue Percentage (PRP) they receive compared to their male counterparts in the NBA. Player Revenue Percentage is the percentage of money players earn from the league’s total earnings.
The WNBA players receive just under 10% of all of the leagues generated revenue, ranging from ticket and jersey sales to endorsement and media deals. This is compared to the almost 50% that NBA players receive from the NBA. The discrepancy creates a real equity problem.
In the same interview at Unrivaled, Collier asked Engelbert how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are receiving such little pay on their rookie contracts, despite the fact they are bringing so much attention and revenue to the league.
Collier continued to quote Engelbert’s words: “Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
Engelbert continued to praise the WNBA while trashing its players.
“Players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them, Englebert said.
Need a transition here to introduce Collier’s quote. I also think that maybe you should be paraphrasing more and maybe clipping key words to include. I don’t really like the current structure
“Thats the mentality driving our league from the top,” Collier said. “We go to battle every day to protect a shield that doesn’t value us.”
Both Collier and Engelbert’s words have many fans, officials, owners and players questioning the WNBA’s leadership. As it stands, Engelbert is still head of all operations concerning the WNBA and its players; however, there have been many calls for her to be fired or at least to step down from her position as commissioner, most notably from Nneka Ogwumike, the President of the WNBPA.
Statistically the 2025 season was the WNBA’s best season, with viewer ratings higher than ever, and an extremely exciting playoffs. History was made, and star players emerged, garnering more attention to the league than ever. If the WNBA ever wants to be taken seriously by the world, they need to take care of these internal problems first.
