Cunningham: WNBA Needs 'Bold' Commissioner
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Sophie Cunningham told USA Today the WNBA needs a 'bold' commissioner 'who wants the best for the players and not maybe for themselves,' and indicated current commissioner Cathy Engelbert's vision does not align with where the league is trying to go.
- Cathy Engelbert's contract as WNBA commissioner is set to expire after the 2026 season, her seventh in the role, and her future is uncertain partly because of how she handled a contentious labor negotiation earlier this year.
- Cunningham said Engelbert's fate ultimately will be decided by NBA commissioner Adam Silver 'at the end of the day,' and that the commissioner position 'could be open at the end of the year.'
- Cunningham's comments followed her August ESPN article stating she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls' and women's sports, which prompted small rallies and protests outside Fever games in Seattle and Portland.
- Engelbert called for a WNBA task force meeting last week to discuss league policies on transgender athletes after Cunningham's remarks drew public attention.
- Cunningham praised Engelbert for doing 'a lot of good things' but said the league needs a commissioner who will support players seeking to be 'trailblazers of what women's leagues can look like.'
Why it matters: With Engelbert's contract expiring after 2026 and her handling of the contentious labor negotiation fueling uncertainty, the WNBA's leadership review arrives while the league is simultaneously navigating the politically charged transgender athlete debate — and Cunningham's remarks make clear a meaningful slice of the player base no longer sees the incumbent as the right fit for the league's next phase.
Ask SkimNews
