"Adam Silver is Cathy's Boss": Candace Parker voices strong disapproval of Cathy Engelbert’s player relations approach 

With the WNBA playoffs in full swing, much of the conversation surrounding the league has shifted toward commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who recently faced scrutiny following Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier’s pointed criticism of her leadership.

WNBA legend Candace Parker, weighing in on the controversy during the “Post Moves” show with Aliyah Boston, shared her own experience that highlighted Engelbert’s limited engagement with players.

Parker compared it to NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s more personal approach, saying he has consistently reached out to her during key moments in her career.

“Adam Silver is Cathy's boss, and he is the commissioner of the NBA,” Parker said. “I signed a deal with Amazon to broadcast for Amazon. I got a text from Adam Silver saying, ‘Congratulations.’ I had my third child. I got a text from Adam Silver about my third child. Now, whether this is Adam or his assistant, somebody from the league office is reaching out to me.” “I retired. Adam Silver sent me a text message that basically congratulated me on my career and how much I've done for the women's game. And he looked forward to how much I'm going to do from the sideline. I have not heard from Cathy.”

Parker added that the first and only time Cathy Engelbert personally congratulated her was four months after her retirement, during the All-Star Game in Phoenix.

She cited Engelbert’s apparent disconnect from players as a key reason many in the league have rallied behind Collier, while there has been “crickets” in defense of the commissioner.

Revisiting Napheesa Collier’s criticism of Cathy Engelbert

During her exit interview with reporters, Napheesa Collier accused Cathy Engelbert’s office of “suppressing voices” by issuing fines instead of directly addressing players’ concerns.

"Our leadership's answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines," Collier said. "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. “We serve a league that has shown they think championship coaches and Hall of Fame players are dispensable and that's fine. It's professional sports, but I will not stand quietly by and allow different standards to be applied at the league level."

Collier also alleged that Cathy Engelbert had privately told her that Caitlin Clark and other young stars “should be on their knees” thanking the league for giving them a platform.

Engelbert later said she was “disheartened” by Collier’s comments and denied the claims, but the controversy has persisted, with many players and fans still siding with Collier amid growing concerns over the league’s leadership.

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro