LAS VEGAS — After a week embroiled in criticism by players, WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert used her annual address before Game 1 of the finals to vow to repair trust with the league’s players, create a new multi-stakeholder task force to evaluate WNBA officiating, and to reiterate that she believes she is well-positioned to take the league into the future.Engelbert also rejected some of the blistering accusations made by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier earlier this week, specifically denying that she told Collier in a private conversation last winter that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark “should be grateful” for her lucrative endorsement deals because of the WNBA’s platforms.“Obviously, I did not make those comments,” Engelbert said. “There’s a lot of inaccuracies reported out there, and I certainly did not say that.”Engelbert said she and Collier have exchanged text messages and have plans to meet next week. Engelbert, who became the WNBA’s first commissioner six years ago, also said she has talked to other players this week, and she said she would to work on building a better connection with players.“If the players in the W don’t feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to do better and I have to do better,” Engelbert said. “If they don’t feel that (appreciation), then I will do everything I can to change that. No one should ever doubt how deeply I care about this league, this game and every single player who makes the WNBA what it is.”Engelbert did not explicitly dispute Collier’s assertion that Engelbert told her players should be “on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them” — a new 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights agreement is set to go into effect next season. But she said there were inaccuracies in social media and reporting about what she said, sidestepping the accusations came in a public address from Collier.