Final week, Napheesa Collier made headlines when she delivered a scathing tirade in opposition to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert throughout her exit interview. Now, extra particulars about Collier’s interactions with Engelbert and the WNBA entrance workplace this previous yr are coming to gentle.
On Monday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews reported that Collier and her enterprise accomplice Breanna Stewart had made a enterprise supply to the WNBA with regard to their startup league Unequalled.
“Collier and Stewart initially provided the WNBA a small fairness share in Unequalled to indicate alignment, a number of sources say, however in the end such a partnership may have violated league guidelines, and so they have been turned down,” Shelburne and Andrews wrote.
Based on the ESPN report, Engelbert and the WNBA entrance workplace weren’t prepared to take a threat on Unequalled on the time.
“The WNBA was targeted by itself income development, and it was nonetheless unclear whether or not Unequalled can be viable.”
Shelburne and Andrews added that the important thing factors Collier delivered in her tirade final week, had been “on her thoughts for months,” ever since she and her husband Alex Bazzell met with Engelbert in February.
Reportedly, it was throughout this assembly during which Engelbert made the controversial feedback about Caitlin Clark needing to be “grateful” for the platform that the WNBA offers.
Based on Shelburne and Andrews: “A number of sources contacted by ESPN mentioned Collier had relayed Engelbert’s feedback to them inside a number of days of the February assembly.”
Engelbert has since responded to Collier’s verbal takedown, saying that she by no means made such feedback about Clark. The strain created on this state of affairs has added to the complexity of the CBA talks between the WNBA and the gamers’ union, for which Collier serves as vice chairman.
Report: Napheesa Collier cancels assembly with WNBA Commissioner
There seems to be no decision for the Collier-Engelbert state of affairs within the close to future, as Shelburne and Andrews have additionally reported this week that the Minnesota Lynx star cancelled a gathering with Engelbert.
“Collier had beforehand texted Engelbert that she was open to assembly along with her subsequent week to debate the criticism of Engelbert and the league at her information convention Tuesday,” Shelburne and Andrews defined.
Any hopes of the 2 key WNBA personalities mending fences have been supposedly dashed after Engelbert questioned the accuracy of Collier’s recollection relating to their February assembly.
Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado
