It’s rare in professional sports to see a star publicly excoriate league leadership. Last week, the Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier delivered a savage takedown of commissioner Cathy Engelbert, saying the sport had “the worst leadership in the world” and accusing Engelbert of jeopardizing player safety by failing to address concerns with poor officiating.

“The real threat to our league isn’t money,” Collier said. “It isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office.”

Collier’s blunt assessment—in a statement she read before reporters—comes at an inflection point for the league. Ratings continue to climb, building off the explosion in popularity that began last season with the arrival of the rookies Caitlin Clark and A

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