With the CBA negotiations just days away from being completed, Napheesa Collier has taken a sharp jab. It wasn't at the negotiations, but someone leading the WNBA side of things.

"Our deadline is coming up right now in a couple of days. I think you've just heard a lot of chatter about, what we're asking for is not sustainable for the business. And being on this side with Unrivaled, I know what it takes to run a sustainable business. So, I think if they can’t find a model that makes it happen, they need to put people in place who can."

Napheesa Collier may be speaking from experience. She remains closely involved in the Unrivaled project as one of the owners.

With Cathy Engelbert leading the WNBA side of negotiations, the dig might have been aimed at her. It's not the first time Collier has spoken about the WNBA Commissioner.

Earlier in October, Collier had called out Engelbert, revealing details of a February meeting Collier attended with her husband, Alex Bazzell and Engelbert.

"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. If I didn't know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn't feel this way, but unfortunately for them, I do."

Napheesa Collier insists players remain firm

That's why the players are holding strong. "We're standing firm in what we believe in. We're not gonna back down, and we can't take less. The sport has just grown too much. It would be a disservice to the people who came before us, to the work that we've put in to take less than what we're owed."

Napheesa Collier isn’t just advocating for better pay. She’s also challenging who should be leading the league.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar