Collier denies conflict of interest in the WNBA after accusations

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Napheesa Collier Defends Her Role in the WNBA and Unrivaled Against Accusations

The vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and co-founder of Unrivaled, Napheesa Collier, used social media to defend her position in both leagues. This, following an accusation that suggested a conflict of interest with Breanna Stewart. The controversy arose from comments insinuating that Collier and Stewart, also co-founder of Unrivaled, might not negotiate the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) “honestly” due to the economic benefits they would obtain in the event of a lockout in the WNBA.

So, just to be clear… while everyone else was enjoying the fireworks, were you guys thinking about how Stewie and I are conspiring to force a lockout that would result in less money throughout the year for the WNBA players?

Napheesa Collier
Collier responded to these accusations on his X account.

Napheesa Collier’s post on X

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1941539301252268288
In March, Collier had stated that “nobody wants” a lockout, but the players are “prepared for any possibility”. Recently, several players, including Stewart, have expressed their frustration with the progress of the negotiations. Stewart commented that the negotiations have not gone as they hoped. Collier and Stewart stated that their work in Unrivaled and the WNBPA does not create a conflict of interest, but rather highlights areas that need improvement. Stewart mentioned that the success of Unrivaled, such as the television deal and high viewership, sets a new standard for the WNBA. In Unrivaled, the players received an average salary of $220,000, access to childcare, and a multi-year television deal with Turner. They also obtained league participation. Collier and Stewart insisted that the launch of Unrivaled, which began in January, was not scheduled to coincide with CBA negotiations. Collier explained that Unrivaled benefits all players, directly and indirectly, and that this is complementary to the work of the players’ association. Collier defended that Unrivaled benefits all players and that she does not understand the idea of a conflict of interest, arguing that they are generating more income for everyone.
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