Let freedom ring.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier puts WNBA leadership on blast

Five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier put the WNBA on blast on Tuesday, calling out commissioner Cathy Engelbert as “negligent” among other criticisms during her now-viral 2025 exit interview.

• Reading from a four-minute-long prepared statement, Collier accused league leadership of not taking officiating concerns seriously, ignoring compensation demands, overworking players, and other major concerns.

• “We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” she said.

Shots fired: Amid ongoing CBA negotiations, Collier hit on her experience running Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball, saying, “If I didn’t know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn’t feel this way. But, unfortunately for [WNBA leadership], I do.”

• “You’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates,” Collier said. “Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage.”

• “The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls, or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office,” she added.

• Collier also quoted a conversation she had with Engelbert earlier this year, alleging that the commissioner said Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark shouldn’t take issue with her $76,535 rookie salary, “because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.” (Watch full video)

Commissioner’s response: Engelbert did not speak directly with reporters after Collier’s remarks, with the league instead releasing a brief written statement shortly after the Lynx star’s exit interview swept the internet.

• “I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver,” Engelbert wrote.

Basketball’s biggest names back Collier’s concerns

The basketball world didn’t hold back on Tuesday, with many of the sport’s biggest names voicing support for Napheesa Collier after the Lynx star publicly criticized WNBA leadership in a now-viral press conference.

• “I’m grateful to have those type of people to be able to continue to speak up for us,” four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson told reporters after the Aces’ semifinal win. “I’m going to ride with Phee always… Moving forward, we’ve gotta continue to stand on business as we talk about this CBA negotiation.”

• “I agree with everything,” said Fever guard Lexie Hull ahead of last night’s playoff decider. “We’re at a really important time in the league and changes need to be made… really proud of her for making that statement.”

• “10/10. No notes!” tweeted Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, while 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers posted a photo of her and Collier to Instagram marked with the caption “Queen Phee.”

Show of solidarity: The WNBA Players Association also spoke out, releasing a statement backing the longtime union leader.

• “When Phee speaks, people listen,” the WNBPA wrote. “The leaders of the league and its teams would benefit from listening to her powerful statement. The players know their value even if the league does not. They are fighting for their legacy and the future of basketball.”

Aces advance to WNBA finals after Game 5 thriller

No. 2 Las Vegas is headed back to the WNBA finals, surviving No. 6 Indiana’s Game 5 upset bid with last night’s 107-98 overtime win to close out the semis 3-2.

• 2025 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and two-time league champion Jackie Young combined for 67 points in the victory, with Young and point guard Chelsea Gray swapping clutch buckets to seal the deal as the clock ticked down.

• “It’s not just one person, it’s not just five people, it’s everybody. Everybody you see contributed to this game,” Wilson said after leading the Aces to their third WNBA finals in four years. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: With five players already sidelined with injury, the Fever took another hit in the third quarter, when leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell exited the game with lower-body cramps.

• But short-staffed Indiana never let up, with former hardship signing Odyssey Sims contributing 27 points to push the home team to the brink of elimination.

• “They’re a great example to everybody of what it means to just put one foot in front of the other,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said postgame. “To persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give in to circumstance.”

Up next: Las Vegas hosts Phoenix in Game 1 of the best-of-seven finals series on Friday at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Dallas cuts ties with 1st-year coach Chris Koclanes

The Wings are officially making moves, parting ways with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes after finishing the 2025 WNBA season in last place with a 10-34 record.

• “As we enter a pivotal point in our team’s future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization,” Dallas GM Curt Miller said in Tuesday’s statement.

Big picture: Koclanes is the third dismissed WNBA coach this year, joining now-unemployed sideline leaders Seattle’s Noelle Quinn and New York’s Sandy Brondello as the Wings look to build around No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers.

• Dallas also has an eye on the future, heading into the offseason with the best odds to secure this year’s No. 1 overall pick — their second straight top pick — after a midseason pivot saw the team offload 2025 additions NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington.

Angel City captain Ali Riley announces retirement

Angel City captain Ali Riley is calling it a career, with the 37-year-old announcing plans to retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2025 NWSL season on Tuesday.

• “Now, as I reflect on what this game has given me these past three decades, since I started in the Palisades here in LA, I know that I have truly given my all, both physically and emotionally,” she wrote. “As a player, I strived to be the best teammate, a positive influence in the locker room, and compete on the field every day.”

Big picture: Exiting the global stage after five World Cups and four Olympics as a member of the New Zealand Football Ferns, the Stanford alum was also a pioneer of the European women’s game, playing in Sweden, England, and Germany from 2012 to 2020 before returning to the NWSL to join the Orlando Pride.

• Riley made her first appearance this season for Angel City in August, returning from a chronic nerve injury that sidelined her for more than a year.

2028 Final Four relocates to Lucas Oil NFL stadium

The 2028 Women’s Final Four is getting an upgrade, with the NCAA announcing they’ll move the annual competition from Indianapolis’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse to Lucas Oil Stadium amid surging ticket interest.

• The NFL stadium opens up 13,000 additional seats for the event, bringing the total capacity to 35,000 — nearly double the NBA arena’s 18,000.

• The DI committee also voted to continue the tournament’s current preliminary-round format through the 2031 Championship, with seeded teams hosting the first two rounds at home followed by super-regional rounds in predetermined host cities.

Meeting demands: “Moving the 2028 Women’s Final Four to Lucas Oil Stadium will allow for more access for our fans, and it represents the continued growth of the sport,” committee chair Amanda Braun said. “With the interest we have seen, holding the Women’s Final Four in a larger venue in Indianapolis is a natural next step.”

Number of the day 

$600,000

On Tuesday, the Portland Thorns traded midfielder Hina Sugita to Angel City in exchange for defender M.A. Vignola plus $600,000 in transfer funds, marking the second biggest intra-league deal in NWSL history.