Napheesa Collier is drawing a line in the sand. The WNBA star has a blunt message for fans who support women's basketball out of obligation.

Napheesa Collier has made it clear that women's sports need genuine respect over sympathy from fans.

The Athletic's March 10 post showed the WNBA star address what she sees as the fans supporting women's basketball as an obligation rather than out of appreciation.

"I don't want your pity support, I want you to love what I'm doing, love what my craft is," Collier said. She also expressed how casual fans are crucial to the sport's growth.

"It's what makes (the sport) grow. You're always gonna have haters and the controversy, but you need that to. The rivalries and the competitiveness and the arguing, that is what makes the sport grow," added the 29-year-old.

"I think the overall message is that we're growing. The fact that so many people have opinions is that they are invested in what we are doing, and they are watching. And whether you hate it or love it, that is giving us money." The Lynx added.

The WNBA has seen a surge in popularity and visibility over the past two years, thanks to new signings like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers, who have propelled the league to new heights.

Still, Collier believes the conversation around women's basketball needs to shift further along this growth. However, Collier didn't just speak about the fans on The Athletic Show.

Napheesa Collier Sent a Strong Message to the WNBA

The 2026 WNBA season is on the verge of being delayed, especially after the soft deadline of March 10 passed with no agreement reached between the league and the players' union.

The three-on-three Unrivaled became the players' priority option in the offseason to make more money. Unrivaled was co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2023, with their second season officially wrapping up last week.

Collier also spoke about Unrivaled, stating that they initially offered equity to the WNBA when launching the league, but the organization declined the proposal.

"Players see here what professional life should look like, so it’s really hard, once you’ve been given that, to accept less. It gives us leverage. We don’t have to just accept anything you give us, because if you don’t give us what we’re owed, we have other places we can go," Collier said.

Unrivaled has shown tangible growth. The league also sold out the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with 21,490 fans in attendance. It wasn't just a record for the league, but for women's professional basketball.

Yet, what's your take on Napheesa Collier's message to the fans? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi