Napheesa Collier faced huge criticism for missing the CBA face-to-face meeting in New York early in February. The player, though, stayed aggressive on the associations’ stand and continued to criticize the league authorities. While her exit interview became a key moment in the CBA discussions, the player never backed down from taking a firm stand.
In her recent interview, Collier’s comments hinted at WNBPA’s expectation from the league; the player made a strong statement if the WNBA don’t meet their demands.
Napheesa Collier With Strong Warning To WNBA
With the CBA discussions taking up most of the offseason, WNBA players expressed their frustration on multiple occasions. They stayed united on their demands, tough, and it helped the association put pressure on the league. Natasha Cloud has already given the league a blunt warning about the players’ proposal, and now the Lynx forward is intensifying pressure on the WNBA.
Talking on the ‘Hoops 360’ podcast, she said, “Well, for the past year and a half, the executive committee has been urging everyone to save their money because we knew the negotiations were coming up. We never know what’s going to happen.”
"That's not what anyone wants but it's what we're willing to do in order to get the things we feel are fair."
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 19, 2026
Napheesa Collier on the ongoing CBA negotiations and the potential of sitting out.
(via Hoops 360) pic.twitter.com/O1vpLqkpjE
“You know, if there’s not a season, we want to make sure everyone’s prepared. So hopefully everyone has been doing that. … We want a season to happen, but if we don’t get the things that we are wanting to stay 10 toes down on, then we’re going to sit out for as long as that takes. That’s not what anyone wants, but it’s what we’re willing to do in order to get the things that we feel are fair,” the forward added.
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The WNBPA has the backing of 98% of players for a strike call, and although the former UConn star is not directly discussing activating that option, the intentions are clear from the WNBPA vice president.
While the player spoke about sitting out for the season, she is not detaching from fans. As the Unrivaled prepares for its expansion, the player visited a refurbished basketball court for young hoopers, who were excited to see their favourite star enter the premises.
Napheesa Collier Connects With Young Fans
The Lynx forward spoke about responsibilities being a role model; she didn’t mean it for the ‘mic’ only. She recently visited the Belfonte Tacolcy park, court for the Liberty Club, with Kate Martin and spent time with the young players, encouraging them to do better.
Martin also gave the young ones advice and said, “Work, work, work. But have fun. We can be too hard on ourselves sometimes. Enjoy the moments on the court.”
The club’s head coach also lauded the impact of the Unrivaled league and expects to see the kids grow as professional basketball players, too.