Napheesa Collier has been one of the loudest voices for the WNBPA during ongoing CBA negotiations, but some WNBA fans aren’t convinced she’s the right person to be speaking for the players.
That criticism picked up after Collier’s comments during the opening night broadcast of the Unrivaled 3×3 basketball league. The Minnesota Lynx star and Unrivaled co-founder spoke about understanding how to build a sustainable league and what the WNBA needs to do to grow financially.
“Being on this side with Unrivaled, I know what it takes to run a sustainable business,” said Collier. “So I think if they can’t find a model that makes that happen, they need to put people in place who can.”
While Collier framed her comments around experience, fans weren’t sold.
@bankroldontfold pushed back, saying, “‘Successful’ bruh you had a million investors and still barely broke even.”
“Successful” bruh you had a million investors and still barely broke even
— Ham sandwich (@bankroldontfold) January 6, 2026
@LVpolitic went further: “TNT is taking massive losses for this thing to pretend like they’re a successful league – as soon as TNT has to start crediting back advertisers, that hand out money goes away, and this thing collapses. Let’s be for real here.”
@bretatwood added, “they’re still spending investors money, the league isn’t profitable.”
Despite the skepticism, Unrivaled continues to gain traction. As CBA talks between the WNBA and WNBPA move forward, the 3×3 league has become a second home for many players. Roughly 75% of WNBA players have committed to Unrivaled through 2028, including Collier and 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
“Reshaping the game”: WNBA fans throw support behind Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart
Not all reactions toward Collier — or Unrivaled — have been negative.
As 2025 wrapped up, Sports Illustrated named Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart Innovators of the Year for their work as co-owners of the league. Their offseason 3×3 concept has given WNBA players a place to stay sharp while earning additional income.
@YanaSn0w1 praised the duo, saying, “That’s an incredible achievement – you’re truly reshaping the game!”
@girl4_sporty echoed that support: “DAMN RIGHT, These ladies are paving the way for future generations of women basketball players around the world. Thank you phee and Stewie.”
And @sirdavepeterson summed it up simply: “Player-led. Power-built. This is how the game moves forward.”
Whether fans agree with Collier’s approach or not, her influence — both in negotiations and through Unrivaled — continues to shape the conversation around the future of women’s basketball.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
