"Very little investment made in training them" - Mark Cuban chimes in on Napheesa Collier exposing Cathy Engelbert’s take on officiating flaws

Mark Cuban chimes in on Napheesa Collier exposing Cathy Engelbert’s take on officiating flaws (Image sources: Imagn and Getty)
Mark Cuban chimes in on Napheesa Collier exposing Cathy Engelbert’s take on officiating flaws (Image sources: Imagn and Getty)

Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban commented on Napheesa Collier's criticisms about the WNBA.

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During the Minnesota Lynx's exit interview on Tuesday, Collier delivered a lengthy four-minute statement that called out the WNBA brass. The Lynx star noted that throughout her career, there have been "constant concerns" about the officiating.

Cuban re-tweeted a video of Collier's full statement and added his comment.

"Look at how they hire and train new officials," Cuban wrote. "Look at how they promote new officials and from where. Refs get trained in the G league. If they aren't good there because there is very little investment made in training them there, how are they going to be good when they get to the WNBA or NBA?"
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Collier pointed out that the players and coaches' concerns about the referees are ignored, describing it as "negligence."

"Our leadership's answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines," Collier said. "I'm not concerned about a fine. I'm concerned about the future of our sport."

Just in the past week, Collier's coach, Cheryl Reeve, went on an outburst against the referees. Reeve complained about a no-call in play where Collier got injured. In her post-game comment, Reeve said that the WNBA needs "a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating."

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In response, the WNBA handed down a one-game suspension and a $15,000 fine to Reeve. Other coaches who have voiced out their concerns about the officiating also received fines from the league. Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon each received $1,000 fine.

Napheesa Collier said she asked Cathy Engelbert how she would address officiating issues

In her statement, Napheesa Collier has echoed the constant criticisms of players and coaches about the officiating in the league. The Minnesota Lynx star said that she relayed this concern to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

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"At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league," Collier said (Timestamp: 1:25). "Her response was, 'Well, only the losers complain about the refs.'"
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Collier described WNBA's response to concerns as a "perfect example of the tone deaf, dismissive approach." The five-time All-Star referenced her experience in running the Unrivaled league. Collier said that the "human element" is one trait that leaders should have.

Engelbert has since responded to the criticisms, calling Collier's comments "disheartening."

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos
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