Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier played a prominent role in negotiating a new contract that increased the players' share of WNBA revenues.
After the Minnesota Lynx's 2025 season ended, star Napheesa Collier held a press conference with reporters and went off on commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA.
Collier, vice president of the WNBPA, said players were grossly underpaid and called the game too physical and unsafe.
In a recent interview with NPR, Collier admitted that her critique of Engelbert and the WNBA was "a little dramatic." Collier called Engelbert "the worst leadership in the world" during her rant last year.
"Thinking about the state of the world right now, I think that's a little dramatic," Collier said. "I think it was something that needed to happen and it was something that furthered our CBA negotiations."
The new agreement allows players to be paid with 20% of team revenues, rather than 8%. Collier was able to sign a "supermax" contract, the largest allowed, for $1.4 million. The one-year contract is more than five times Collier's salary the previous year.
Collier appeared in 33 games last season. She averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 53.1% from the field, 40.3% from beyond the arc and 90.6% from the free-throw line.
A five-time All-Star, Collier is expected to return to on-court basketball activities in early June. She had surgery on both ankles this offseason.
"I'm so focused on, right now, with my injury and this year and winning a championship," Collier said. "That is what I'm doing, so getting back with our amazing staff, playing with our amazing players and just focused on this year and winning."
Collier has spent her entire career with the Lynx. She holds career averages of 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
Collier has led Minnesota to six playoff appearances, a 2024 Commissioner’s Cup Championship and one WNBA Finals appearance (2024) while earning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2024) and Rookie of the Year (2019) awards.
"I'm so focused on the now," Collier said.