Caitlin Clark held her exit interview on Thursday after the Indiana Fever’s remarkable 2025 season and voiced support for Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier’s recent criticism of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Clark said Collier raised “a lot of very valid points” and stressed that the league is in “the biggest moment in WNBA history,” urging everyone in positions of power to ensure the game’s future is secured as negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) continue.
The WNBA and the players’ union have been in a tense standoff for months over the next CBA. While talks have mostly remained private, Collier delivered the strongest public critique yet during her exit interview on Tuesday, saying, “I’m concerned about the future of our sport… We have the best players and the best fans in the world. But right now we have the worst leadership in the world.”
Collier also revealed a private exchange with Engelbert about player compensation, saying she questioned why stars like Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers earn so little during their first four years. According to Collier, Engelbert responded that Clark “should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the WNBA’s platform, she wouldn’t make anything.”
Initially, Clark declined to comment, but Engelbert issued a statement saying she was “disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversation and league leadership.” Speaking Thursday for the first time in months after being limited to 13 games this season due to lower-body injuries, Clark acknowledged Collier’s remarks, saying, “I have great respect for Phee… we need great leadership at this time. This is the most important moment in the league’s history, and we have to capitalize on it.”
Clark said she was unaware of the specific comment Engelbert allegedly made about her and noted that she has not spoken with the commissioner since Collier’s remarks. When asked to define “great leadership,” Clark emphasized the importance of strong relationships: “Whether it’s with your front office, the commissioner, or your teammates, relationships are the foundation. Why would my teammates listen to me if I didn’t have a relationship with them?”
Looking ahead, Clark pledged to help shape the WNBA for the next generation: “We are in the biggest moment in WNBA history. Everyone in power and even myself has a responsibility to ensure the league is in a great place going forward with the CBA and in caring for our players… I want young girls to dream of wearing a WNBA uniform the way I did.”
The current CBA expires on Oct. 31. If a new agreement is not reached, the league and the union could extend the current terms, as they did in 2019, or face a lockout, which would halt league operations and bar players from using team facilities.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham suggested a lockout is increasingly likely, saying Thursday, “The league came back and really gave us nothing. There’s a potential lockout because I promise you we are not gonna play until they give us what we deserve. That’s kinda where it’s headed.”
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