Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier absolutely destroyed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a four-minute speech delivered during her exit interview earlier this week.
Although her statement contained years of player gripes that have snowballed, many agree it was triggered by a non-call late in Game 3 of the Lynx's semifinals series against the Phoenix Mercury , where Phee suffered an injury.
WNBA legend Candace Parker discussed that controversial play with Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston during the recent episode of the "Post Moves Show" podcast.
"In the closing minutes of Game 3, Alyssa Thomas runs through…are we gonna say Phee or the ball? Because there was some controversy on the call. You think that was clean? Or you think it was a foul?" asked Canace.
With the Mercury up 80-76 with 28 seconds left in the game, the Lynx set up a play for Collier to get the ball back after she inbounded the ball. But as Phee tried to maneuver her way to the basket, Thomas poked the ball from her, completed the steal and scored on the other end to give Phoenix the insurance points. But that wasn't the story.
Collier ended up on the ground and in pain. Looking at the replay, the legs of both players made contact after Alyssa's clean swipe, causing Phee to twist her ankle. She ended up suffering a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her ankle and a muscle in her shin, which caused her to miss the next game. Without their best player, the Lynx were eliminated in Game 4.
"If I'm Napheesa, I want that call. She hit the ball, but she went through her leg. Like Alyssa plays that way. She plays aggressive and physical consistently, and I just feel as though sometimes they let her get away with a little bit more than other players on the defensive end, and this is in no way, shape, or form saying that she should change or that it was intentionally dirty," added Parker.
Aside from Collier missing Game 4, the Lynx also faced elimination without head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended by the league after she ranted about the refereeing and called for a change in the officiating team in the Game 3 post-game press conference.
The non-call also elicited many negative reactions from online fans, but the WNBA refs got the backing of their NBA counterparts, via "X."
"This is NOT a foul," the post read . "Thomas legally gets to the ball and knocks the ball loose prior to any contact. The leg-to-leg contact is incidental once the ball is clearly loose. This was correctly judged in real time as a no-call, as were the subsequent technical fouls."
Foul or not, that play became the precursor of what some say is the WNBA's version of the Gettysburg Address. With virtually every player who has spoken, including Caitlin Clark , expressing support for Collier, the ball is now in the WNBA's court to respond, particularly regarding officiating, which was the primary catalyst for the push for change.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
