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Report: Engelbert didn't respond to messages from Collier's agent following injury

Originally posted on Bring Me The News
By Jonathan Harrison | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 5:24 PM ET

Napheesa Collier was reportedly set to have a meeting with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert following the Lynx star's blistering criticism of the league's leadership, but the meeting was canceled once their relationship reached a point allegedly "beyond repair."

Now, in a new report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews, it's been revealed that in the hours following Collier's season-ending injury — suffered in a Game 3 loss to Phoenix — Collier's agent called and left messages for Engelbert, but those went unreturned.

Collier was injured with 25 seconds left in Game 3, when she banged knees with Mercury star Alyssa Thomas. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve had to be restrained from the referees, whose no-call on the play drew a fiery, expletive-laced response from Reeve that led to Reeve being suspended for Game 4.

While Engelbert allegedly didn't return Collier's agent's calls and messages, the league's head of operations, Bethany Donaphin, did reach out two days after Collier's statement during the Lynx's end-of-season press conference.

However, that press conference was held Sept. 30, two days after the Lynx were eliminated from the playoffs. If the ESPN report is true, that means the league waited four days to respond to the messages that were sent by Collier's agent.

Donaphin left a "conciliatory voicemail for Collier," and asked whether she would be willing to meet with the commissioner in order to talk through the situation, according to the report.

Collier accepted the initial invitation, which was followed by a text message directly from Englebert the night before the commissioner held a press conference and denied saying the things Collier claimed she did during a meeting in February.

According to Collier, she asked Engelbert why players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese aren't making more money during their first four years in the league, Engelbert allegedly responded: "Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything."

"Obviously, I did not make those comments," Engelbert said Friday.

Shelburne and Andrew, citing multiple sources, said Collier told them about Engelbert's comments in the days following their February meeting.

So who's telling the truth? Shelburne and Andrew seem to be siding with Collier's claims, while adding that Engelbert's invalidating responses Friday ended any chance of her and Collier mending fences.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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