Minnesota Lynx superstar forward Napheesa Collier made sure to shut down a ridiculous conspiracy theory that a potential 2026 WNBA lockout would somehow benefit her 3-on-3 Unrivaled league.

The faulty logic started floating around social media amid ongoing collective bargaining negotiations after the league’s first proposal was just rejected by the players union. That fueled fears of a potential WNBA lockout.

Collier is a vice president of the WNBA’s player union alongside Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, and the internet scuttlebutt pointed at the two somehow benefitting from a WNBA lockout through their Unrivaled league.

Obviously, this is objectively absurd since a new CBA would put much more money in the pockets of both Collier and Stewart. WNBA player salaries could skyrocket with a new league salary cap.

Unrivaled takes place in the league’s off months, and the only realistic gain Unrivaled would get would be if a pending WNBA lockout invites in a player like Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark to participate if the 2026 season was in flux. However, she may still reject an invitation even if the WNBA season is put on hold.

Collier and Stewart, like all WNBA players, have much more to lose if the league can’t work out a new CBA with the players union.

“While everyone else was enjoying fireworks, you were thinking about how me and & Stewie of all people are conspiring to force a lockout that would result in less money year-round for WNBA players?” Collier tweeted on Saturday about one X (Twitter) user sharing their conspiracy theory thoughts.

So let me get this straight….

While everyone else was enjoying fireworks, you were thinking about how me and & Stewie of all people are conspiring to force a lockout that would result in less money year-round for WNBA players??🧐😂😂😂 https://t.co/jOiF5TRiAB

— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) July 5, 2025

This conspiracy cannot possibly hold water. Collier and Stewart would not try to drive a lockout to benefit their Unrivaled league; the lack of a 2026 WNBA season would literally cost them money. A lockout would more likely send players back overseas for more lucrative contracts.

The WNBA is going to play hardball with the players union. The union is going to demand some much-needed changes. The two sides will hopefully work to find a new CBA that benefits the league and the players who make it what it is.

Collier and Stewart absolutely benefit from Unrivaled’s success, but they also benefit from, y’know, making as much money as possible with their WNBA contracts. A lockout would hinder that. It’s not rocket science, people. Collier and Stewart’s perfect world is a successful Unrivaled and a successful CBA negotiation.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Napheesa Collier shut down a ridiculous WNBA conspiracy theory