In the high-stakes world of professional basketball, sometimes a little drama off the court can be just as strategic as a game-winning shot. That's exactly what WNBA star Napheesa Collier is revealing now, months after her fiery comments about league commissioner Cathy Engelbert made headlines.

Back in September, during tense labor negotiations and frustrations over officiating, the five-time All-Star didn't hold back. "We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world," Collier declared, calling out Engelbert directly. It was a bold statement that sent shockwaves through the league.

Fast forward to March, and the WNBA and WNBPA have officially agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement. Now, in a candid interview with NPR, Collier is walking back the intensity of her original rant—while admitting it was all part of a bigger game plan.

"Thinking about the state of the world, right, I think that's a little dramatic," Collier said with a laugh, reflecting on her earlier comments. But don't mistake her admission for regret. The Lynx star made it clear: "It was tense for a while just between the players and the league in general. I think it was something that needed to happen and it was something that furthered our CBA negotiations."

Collier's perspective carries extra weight. As co-founder of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women's basketball league that launched last year, she knows what strong leadership looks like. "If I didn't know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn't feel this way," she said last fall. "But unfortunately for them, I do."

While Collier stands by her decision to speak out, she's taking a more measured tone now. "I never want someone's personal life the way that it was for her," she said, acknowledging the personal backlash Engelbert faced. "She got a lot of backlash for that. And what I was talking about was professionally. When you take things personally, that was an unintended consequence for sure."

The message is clear: in the game of negotiations, sometimes you need to make a loud play to get the result you want. And for Collier and her fellow players, that new CBA was the ultimate win.