CHICAGO -- Women's National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike emphasized the importance of continuing to build trust between WNBA players and the league days after the parties met to address the increase in racist, hateful and abusive messages directed toward players.
Members of the WNBPA executive and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committees requested a call last month with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, which lasted for 90 minutes on Tuesday as they discussed harassment directed at players, officiating and other issues.
"When you have moments of crisis, a lot of times we may not always know the answer, we may not always know what needs to be next. But the gap in knowing and not knowing, I think it relies on relationships and trust," the Los Angeles Sparks star said Friday ahead of practice for the All-Star Game. "So I implored that this conversation is something that should be happening, whether good things are happening or bad things are happening. Because if I know that we're cool, and some s--- goes down, then I'll be like 'Hey let's talk this out,' because we have that foundation of trust."
Ogwumike, who was recently reelected to her fourth term as WNBPA president, said that she left the meeting feeling "hopeful" and that Engelbert was receptive to players' feedback.
The WNBPA and league are on the heels of a contentious labor negotiation that reached a fever pitch in the offseason but ultimately resulted in a historic collective bargaining agreement.
But challenges remain as players navigate worsening levels of harassment and abuse, with multiple players speaking out in recent weeks that they've been on the receiving end of racial slurs and death threats.
"I think growing pains are natural. But at what point do those become chronic?" Ogwumike said. "After a while, if you're still experiencing those symptoms, you have to do something to alleviate that type of pain, and that's what the players are asking for."
Ogwumike said that WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson also encouraged league leadership to take a more proactive approach where possible.
"Yes, we're growing, and so what we're doing now, it may feel like we're doing more than what was before, but we have to be ahead of our growth," Ogwumike recalled Jackson saying. "And I think that that might be something that we're experiencing now. Cathy totally understood. We can implement certain things that we haven't had before, but we might have to implement something that helps something that we haven't seen yet to ensure that we're staying ahead of our own curve."
The league previously introduced a multipronged "No Space For Hate" platform ahead of the 2025 season that aimed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces.
"I can't tell you that I have an answer [for how to move forward]," Ogwumike said. "But I do think that that answer involves accountability, and that accountability can lead to the action that we need to see to help players feel more protected and safe."
Asked whether she would be open to seeing Engelbert remain as commissioner after this season, Ogwumike said "it's not on me to decide" but indicated the players are willing to work with whoever is in that role.
"I think as players, the leadership is here. We rock with leadership," Ogwumike said. "We're going to rock with who we got."
