Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark backed up Napheesa Collier's bombshell claims about WNBA's 'worst' leadership, sharing that the Minnesota Lynx guard "made a lot of very valid points".
Clark added that she has "great respect for Phee" and "Phee said it all."
On Thursday, October 2, the 23-year-old, who missed the majority of the season due to injuries, noted, "I think what people need to understand [that] we need great leadership at this time across all levels."
"This is straight-up the most important moment in this league's history. This league's been around for 25-plus years, and this is a moment we have to capitalise on."
Collier said Tuesday that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told her that star players such as Clark and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese "should be grateful" for what they earn.
Clark said she had not previously heard that story and that she has not heard from the WNBA commissioner since Collier's remarks.
Clark did not directly respond to Engelbert's alleged comment but pointed out that NIL has allowed college players to grow their brands and earn money before they get to the league, such as how she did at Iowa.
Replying to the question about great leadership and what it means in the context of the league and players' complaints, the 2024 No. 1 pick said, "It is all about relationships, and that's the truth."
"I know that's really hard to say in professional sports, but whether it's a relationship with your front office, whether it's relationship with commissioner of the league, whether it's relationship with your teammates," she added.
Clark's teammate Sophie Cunningham went a step further in expressing her frustration.
"Not really a fan of our leadership in the W," she said. "I just think they're failing us as a league, definitely failing us as players. And everything that Napheesa said, we all feel that way, and we're all going to back her."
Calling out the commissioner, the Fever's No. 8 said, "I think it's pretty shameful that she always makes it about her, Cathy, when it should have nothing to do with her."
Cunningham added that she has had NBA players reach out "in awe of how terrible it is" and share their concerns about how badly the WNBA players are being treated.
The 29-year-old also slammed the league's officiating, saying referees allow things to become like a "battlefield out there."
Cunningham and Clark were two of the Fever's five players who were ruled out for the 2025 campaign with season-ending injuries.
Caitlin Clark, who has played just 13 games, said she injured her ankle in August with "probably one of the worst sprains I've dealt with" while recovering from her groin injury, the former preventing her from seeing how she had recovered from the latter.
