Caitlin Clark gave support to fellow WNBA star Napheesa Collier, who had referenced Clark when admonishing the league and commissioner Cathy Engelbert in fiery remarks earlier this week.

At the center of the storm is the ongoing collective bargaining dispute between the WNBA Players Association and league executives. Negotiations over a new CBA have dragged on for months, with both sides reportedly struggling to agree on key issues such as revenue sharing, charter flights, and player marketing. The timing of Collier’s remarks — right in the middle of the WNBA Finals — has added even more drama to what many insiders now describe as a “crisis of confidence.”

“The message from the players is crystal clear,” said sports analyst Monica McNutt. “They don’t feel heard. They don’t feel supported. And when you have someone like Caitlin Clark — the most visible player in the sport — backing that up, it becomes impossible for the league to ignore.”

The WNBA has so far remained tight-lipped, issuing only a brief statement late Wednesday: “We value open dialogue with our players and are committed to addressing their concerns as we continue to grow the league.” But according to multiple sources, the atmosphere inside league offices is tense, with executives reportedly blindsided by how quickly the situation spiraled.

Behind the scenes, some franchise owners are said to be pressuring the league office to respond more decisively, fearing that continued silence could damage the WNBA’s image during its most successful season ever. “This was supposed to be the league’s breakout year,” one owner said privately. “Instead, it’s becoming a PR nightmare.”

On Tuesday, Collier put the WNBA – and Engelbert – on blast, saying that “right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.”

“I have great respect for Phee, and I think she made a lot of very valid points,” Clark said Thursday at Indiana Fever exit interviews. “I think what people need to understand: We need great leadership in this time across all levels.

At the center of the storm is the ongoing collective bargaining dispute between the WNBA Players Association and league executives. Negotiations over a new CBA have dragged on for months, with both sides reportedly struggling to agree on key issues such as revenue sharing, charter flights, and player marketing. The timing of Collier’s remarks — right in the middle of the WNBA Finals — has added even more drama to what many insiders now describe as a “crisis of confidence.”

“The message from the players is crystal clear,” said sports analyst Monica McNutt. “They don’t feel heard. They don’t feel supported. And when you have someone like Caitlin Clark — the most visible player in the sport — backing that up, it becomes impossible for the league to ignore.”

The WNBA has so far remained tight-lipped, issuing only a brief statement late Wednesday: “We value open dialogue with our players and are committed to addressing their concerns as we continue to grow the league.” But according to multiple sources, the atmosphere inside league offices is tense, with executives reportedly blindsided by how quickly the situation spiraled.

Behind the scenes, some franchise owners are said to be pressuring the league office to respond more decisively, fearing that continued silence could damage the WNBA’s image during its most successful season ever. “This was supposed to be the league’s breakout year,” one owner said privately. “Instead, it’s becoming a PR nightmare.”

“This is straight up the most important moment in this league’s history. This league has been around for 25-plus years, and this is a moment we have to capitalize on.”

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Collier’s emphatic statement comes ahead of the WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces – Game 1 is Friday – and as the final days of the current collective bargaining agreement tick away. The CBA expires at the end of the month, and there is potential for a lockout.

Collier, during Minnesota Lynx exit interviews Tuesday, said she asked Engelbert back in February “how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin (Clark), Angel (Reese) and Paige (Bueckers), who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years.”

Collier said Engelbert’s reply was: “Caitlin should be grateful she made $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”

Napheesa Collier.
David Berding/Getty Images

Engelbert responded Tuesday with a released statement: “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.”

The WNBA is in absolute turmoil after rookie sensation Caitlin Clark publicly threw her support behind Napheesa Collier’s explosive criticism of league leadership — a move that has stunned fans, divided players, and sent shockwaves through women’s basketball. What began as a pointed statement from Collier about “systemic neglect” inside the league has now snowballed into an all-out firestorm of rebellion, with veteran star Sophie Cunningham adding fuel to the blaze by openly slamming the WNBA’s top brass for what she calls a “complete failure of leadership.”

It all started when Napheesa Collier, the Minnesota Lynx forward and Team USA gold medalist, spoke bluntly in a postgame interview last weekend. “We keep being told that change is coming, but we’re the ones still waiting,” she said. “We’ve been patient, we’ve been professional, but it feels like the people running this league don’t truly understand what it takes to support us. The growth is happening despite them, not because of them.”

Her remarks quickly went viral — but no one expected Caitlin Clark, the rookie phenom and face of the WNBA’s new era, to step into the fray. Yet just hours later, Clark reposted Collier’s statement on social media with three words that rocked the basketball world: “She’s absolutely right.”

The response was immediate and electric. Fans flooded comment sections, some applauding Clark for speaking up so early in her career, others warning that she had just “declared war” on the league’s executives. Within minutes, her post had racked up hundreds of thousands of likes, with teammates and fellow players chiming in. “This is what leadership looks like,” one player wrote. “The new generation isn’t staying quiet.”

Clark’s endorsement of Collier’s criticism represents a massive turning point in the league’s internal dynamics. The Indiana Fever star, who has become one of the most marketable athletes in America, had largely avoided controversy during her breakout rookie season. But her decision to side with Collier — and, by extension, challenge Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s leadership — signals that even the league’s biggest names are losing patience.

Then, as if the situation couldn’t escalate further, Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham unleashed her own fiery statement during a podcast appearance. “I’m sick of the lip service,” she said bluntly. “We hear about ‘empowerment’ and ‘growth’ every single year, but when it’s time to actually invest — in travel, salaries, facilities, promotion — suddenly it’s crickets. Players are exhausted. We love this league, but we’re not going to keep carrying it on our backs while leadership hides behind PR lines.”

Her words struck a nerve, echoing across the league like a rallying cry. Within hours, several players — including Breanna Stewart, Satou Sabally, and Alyssa Thomas — posted messages of solidarity with the growing movement, all calling for greater transparency and genuine investment. One veteran player, speaking anonymously to ESPN, described the situation as “a boiling point decades in the making.”

“The players aren’t being disrespectful — they’re being honest,” the player said. “We’ve been told to wait, to trust the process, but when you’re flying commercial after back-to-back games and your body is breaking down, that trust disappears fast.”

What makes this controversy particularly explosive is the unity forming across generations of players. Veterans who built the league from the ground up are standing shoulder to shoulder with rising stars, demanding systemic change. “This isn’t about drama — it’s about progress,” Collier said in a follow-up post. “We’re not attacking the league. We’re holding it accountable.”

Caitlin Clark, meanwhile, hasn’t backed down. Asked by reporters whether she regretted her public support, she replied calmly, “No. I said what I meant. Napheesa spoke truth, and if we want this league to reach its potential, we have to stop pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.”

Those words — simple, firm, and fearless — have only intensified her growing reputation as both a generational talent and a voice of change. Fans online have dubbed the moment the start of the “WNBA Reckoning,” calling it the most significant player-led uprising since the 2020 bubble season, when athletes used their platform to demand social and organizational reforms.

Sophie Cunningham, for her part, says she’s ready for whatever comes next. “If speaking the truth makes people uncomfortable, so be it,” she told reporters after the Mercury’s practice on Thursday. “We love this game too much to stay quiet. It’s time.”

As tensions mount, analysts say the coming weeks could define the future of the league. If the WNBA embraces the players’ demands and rebuilds trust, it could usher in a new golden era of investment, visibility, and empowerment. But if leadership resists, the risk of a full-blown player revolt — or even a work stoppage — looms large.

For now, one thing is clear: the stars of the WNBA have found their voice — and they’re not afraid to use it. What began as a single interview has erupted into a league-wide reckoning, uniting players across teams and generations. The message is unmistakable: the era of silence is over.

And as Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, and Sophie Cunningham lead the charge, the WNBA stands at a crossroads — between the promise of transformation and the danger of collapse. The next move belongs to the league.

Clark – who missed the rest of the season after suffering a groin injury July 15 – was asked whether she had previously heard that story before Collier told it publicly and whether Engelbert had spoken to her since Collier’s remarks. Clark shook her head and said no to both questions.

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“Everybody that’s in a place of power has a responsibility, and even myself,” Clark said. “We have a responsibility to make sure that this game is in a great place going forward with the CBA, and caring for our players and building this league to make sure it’s in a great spot for many years to come.”

Regarding her rehab, Clark told reporters she currently feels like she’s “in a really good spot” and aims to be able to play in a five-on-five setting by the end of October.

“I’ve been working really hard to get back to full health, and I feel like over these last couple of weeks is when I’ve probably started feeling my best,” Clark said.

Cunningham: ‘Everyone’s just trying to kill each other’

Collier’s message resonated with several players around the league, including Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, whose season was cut short because of an MCL injury.

“I’m just tired of our league,” Cunningham said Thursday. “They need to step up and be better. Our leadership from top to bottom needs to be held accountable.

“I think that there a lot of people in the position of power in the WNBA. They might be really great business people, but they don’t know sh*t about basketball, and that’s got to change.”

Cunningham referenced officiating and games being physical.

“It’s like a battlefield out there,” Cunningham said. “But we (the players) are agreeing on the court because of how awful the officials are. That’s saying something.

“Like, listen to us. We’re not going to come for your heads, but I think there is room for improvement, to change the criteria when the whole league is asking for it. But leadership isn’t doing anything about it. Why? Why?

“I think there’s just frustration. The game’s not fun to watch because everyone’s just trying to kill each other, because that’s how you’re going to survive. Otherwise, you’re going to get injured.”