Collier denies Unrivaled, WNBA conflict of interest

Unrivaled co-founder and Women's National Basketball Players Association Vice President Napheesa Collier took to societal media connected Saturday day to support her relation successful some leagues aft an accusation that she and Breanna Stewart person a struggle of involvement went viral.

"So fto maine get this straight.... While everyone other was enjoying fireworks, you were reasoning astir however maine and & Stewie of each radical are conspiring to unit a lockout that would effect successful little wealth year-round for WNBA players??" Collier's post connected X read.

The station she responded to suggested that Collier and Stewart, who is besides a co-founder of Unrivaled and is the president of the WNBPA, could not negociate the upcoming CBA successful "good faith" due to the fact that of the fiscal benefits they would person if the WNBA were to participate a lockout.

Back successful March, Collier told CBS Sports' "We Need To Talk Now" that "no 1 wants" a lockout, but the players are "prepared for immoderate anticipation close now."

Recently respective players, including Stewart, person said negotiations person not gone however they wanted.

"Absolutely frustrated," Stewart told reporters aft shootaround connected July 3. "Anytime you spell backmost and forth, you're not expecting to perceive that 'yes' connected the archetypal [proposal], but you're expecting to person a conversation. They benignant of conscionable ignored everything we said."

Both Collier and Stewart told ESPN that their enactment for Unrivaled and the WNBPA does not make a struggle of interest, but alternatively helps item areas that request improvement.

"[It's not a conflict] yet," Stewart told ESPN. "I deliberation it's conscionable a small spot different. The things we tin instrumentality from Unrivaled are the TV woody and however immense and unthinkable that was, but besides the numbers down it similar having 3 games per week. People were perpetually paying attraction to it ... Whether it's Phee oregon maine oregon idiosyncratic other astatine Unrivaled, we recognize that's the modular now. That's what we expect erstwhile we travel backmost to the W."

At Unrivaled, they paid athletes an mean wage of $220,000, provided childcare and a multi-year tv woody with Turner. Players besides got equity successful the league.

They were adamant that they did not clip the motorboat of Unrivaled, which began successful January, to coincide with CBA negotiations.

"The quality of being successful the players association, we are present for what's champion for the players. And Unrivaled is what's champion for the players ... Even indirectly, not conscionable the players that are playing for us, we are helping retired each players," Collier told ESPN successful May. "That is the constituent of the players association. So we really help. It's not a juggling act, it's really complementary."

She continued: "I honestly don't adjacent recognize that viewpoint [of a conflict]. Because again, adjacent though we lone employment a definite magnitude of players, we impact each of the players. I consciousness similar it's an vantage much than a struggle of interest. I don't adjacent cognize what the struggle would be. We are making everyone much money."