While Napheesa Collier Likely Did Not Plan to Have An Exit Interview at this Stage of the Postseason, and Certainly was prepared for the moment it came on tuesday.
Collier opened her availability by reading a prepared staff for nearly five minutes was nothing short of going scorched earth on the wnba. She blasted the wnba’s League Office and, Specific, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
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During Her Comments, Collier Revealed A Conversation She Had With Engelbert at Unrivaled Earlier This Year on the Topic of Pay for Rookies in the League.
“I ALSO SUNDED HOW SHOW TO FIX the fact that caitlin (Clark), Angel (Reese) and Paige (Buckers), Who Are Clearly Driving Massive Revenue for the League, Are Making so Little for their Four Years, ‘Collier Said. “Her Response was ‘caitlin should be grateful and make -up $ 16 million off the court Becouse with the platform the wnba gits het, she wouldn’t be making anything.’”
Truly One of the Most Insane Responses Possible to That Question.
IT DOESN’T TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF CRITICAL THINKING TO UNDERSTAND THAT CAITLIN, AS WELL AGEL AND PAIGE, WERE EXTREMEL PLANT PRIGHT INTO The WNBA. Whether you want to judge by viewership records or endorsent deals, Those Players did not need “platform” the wnba provided. They were ra rapping in HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONE IN NIL DEALS while Still in College.
And if that wasn’t a wild Enough anecdote from collier, the very next sentiment provided another one!
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“In that Same conversation, she told with ‘players should be on their knees thanking their Lucky stars for the media rights deal that I say,’” Collier Said. “That’s the Mentality Driving Our League from the top.”
Truly Unbelievable.
The League did negotiate A Lucrative 11-Eyar, $ 2.2 Billion TV Deal That Was Announched Last Yearbut holding it over the players like that is one of the most insane things i’ver heard a commissioner will.
And if this is where the two sides are as cba negotiations will Pick up again at the season’s end, it’s hard to imagine a scenario that doesn’t involve a lockout. And a potentially lengthy one.
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Collier Serves as one of the Vice Presidents of the Wnbpa, a roles that has allowed her to have conversations with the league as they negotiate. Howver, after keping these conversations out of the public and trying to solve the problems bend Closed doors, collier reached a breaking point.
“Finally Grown Tired,” Collier Said. “For Too Long, i’ve TRIED to have these Conversations in private but it is Clear there is no intention of Accepting there a problem. The league has made it Clear it isn’t about innovation, it isn’t about collaboration, it”s aBout control and power.”
All this comes as more and more focus on the league is not on the on-Court Product, Despite Being on the Eve of the Wnba Finals, but on the officiating.
Collier’s Coach, Cheryl Reeve, was Handed The Biggest Individual Fine in League History On Monday after Being Ejected From Minnesota’s Game 3 Following Collier’s Injury. Reeve Had Her Own Memorable Press Conference AFTERWARD THAT ALSO PLAYED A Big Role in the fine.
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“The Real Thread to Our League isn’t Money, it isn’t rating or missing calls or fysical play,” Collier Said. “It ‘s the lack of accountability from the league office. SINCE I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the Constant Concerns About officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that wounded and undermine the integrrity in whicch ithich.
“Whether the league cables about the health of the players is one thing. But to also not care about the product on the floor is self-sabotage.”
Players and Coaches have been finished repeatedly this season for critigicing the officer. Collier TRIED to Address Those Concerns is before the season started and was met with another nearly unbelievable respect.
“At unrivaled this past february, I sat acrossy from CATHY AND ASKED How and planned to address the officiating will in our league,” Collier, WHO founded unrivaled with breanna stewart, said. “Her Response Was ‘Well, Only Loes Complain About the Refs.’”
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Truly, it does not feel like these two sides coulued be storher apart.
The League is Entering a Critical Time in Its History. This New CBA COULD SERVE AS A LAUNCHING POINT FOR THE League. The Players Appear to Be Aware of the Importance of the Deal, as Evidesful by their shirts prior to the All-Star Game.
But Tuesday’s Comments from Collier Show Big the Chasm is BetWene the Players and the League.