It wasn’t so long ago that Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier sat down to give her exit interview, which set the sports world on fire via her harsh critiques of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Three months later, Collier is insisting that “nothing has changed” from the league, though she believes in the ability of the players’ union and league to come together in the future as CBA talks stretch out.
“I feel confident in the [players association] and where we are internally with our players and the future,” Collier said Tuesday, according to ESPN, while holding a press conference for Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league she cofounded.
“The conversation has been had now. People are seeing that changes need to be made. It’s coming from so many different directions — so many people feel this way. We’re just excited for the future.”
Collier also addressed her exit interview, which became a topic not only among WNBA fans but in sports writ large.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting it to blow up as it did,” Collier said in the press conference. “I knew people in our community would see it, but I didn’t know that it was going to gain so much traction.”
Collective bargaining agreement negotiations have been ongoing for a year now, with little progress being made on the surface, as players insist on an improved salary structure and more equitable revenue sharing. Collier reiterated as much on Tuesday, acknowledging that while things such as childcare and retirement benefits were important, the goal “is to keep the rev share the main thing. That’s why you see that so much and why other things haven’t been talked about as much.”
Collier also made it clear that the union is prepared to go however long they deem necessary to come out with a fair agreement.
“I don’t think there’s fatigue,” she said. “Obviously, there’s frustration in that both sides are trying to get what they want, but we still have that fire within us that we’re willing to do what it takes. We’re going to do whatever it takes to get what we think we deserve.”
The league and players’ union agreed to an extension of the current CBA through Jan. 9, 2026.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.