Engelbert Retires: WNBA's Growth Era, Player Rift — SkimNews
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- Cathy Engelbert announced she will retire as WNBA commissioner at the end of 2026, ending a seven-year tenure that began in 2019 after her prior role as CEO at Deloitte.
- During her tenure, the WNBA expanded to a record 18 teams by 2030, signed two CBAs including the 2026 deal that introduced the first million-dollar salaries, moved to chartered flights in 2022, and executed the 2020 COVID bubble in Florida — with franchise values soaring (the New York Liberty jumping from a $10-15 million sale price in 2019 to a reported $600 million valuation).
- Engelbert's legacy is shadowed by player conflict: Napheesa Collier's public criticism at her September 2025 exit interview, boos at the Commissioner's Cup finals and All-Star Weekends, and criticism over Engelbert's September 2024 refusal to condemn racist abuse in the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry before later saying she 'missed the mark.'
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver will appoint Engelbert's successor for the third time since 2014, with potential candidates including head of league operations Bethany Donaphin, former player and New Orleans Pelicans VP Swin Cash, and WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike — though Voepel notes Ogwumike would need to switch from the players' side of the table to working for owners.
- Voepel says the next commissioner must be an 'accomplished diplomat' to rebuild trust with players, while Copeland argues the financial and structural wins — biggest media deal in women's sports history, most teams and games in league history — will define the legacy in 10-20 years.
- Engelbert's critics also pointed to the 2022 capital raise, when the WNBA sold a 16% equity stake for $75 million, though Voepel frames it as 'unfortunate timing' before the 'Caitlin Clark Effect' took hold.
Why it matters: The next WNBA commissioner inherits a league at peak financial value but with its worst player relations in history — Adam Silver's hire will determine whether the Liberty-style valuation surge (from $10-15M to $600M) continues alongside the 18-team expansion or whether the Collier-era player revolt deepens. With Ogwumike, Cash, and Donaphin as the named candidates, the choice between a player-side advocate and an operations insider is the league's most consequential leadership call since 2019.
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