WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring at the end the year, bringing to a close her seven-plus years at the helm of the league and a stewardship that has been transformative and at times tumultuous.<\/p>\n
Engelbert is the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, and she helped negotiate a lucrative collective bargaining agreement<\/a> this past spring that resulted in the league\u2019s first set of million-dollar player salaries.<\/p>\n That growth has been accompanied by a series of headline-grabbing distractions for the league under her leadership, especially in the last year. She had a strained relationship with the players during the contract negotiations, and the 2026 season has been dominated by controversies surrounding officiating and the transgender debate along with a large amounts of social media backlash against WNBA participants.<\/p>\n Engelbert told The Associated Press that the decision to leave was solely her own and that she did not feel any pressure to step down from NBA or WNBA stakeholders before Friday\u2019s announcement. She insists she has a good relationship with players.<\/p>\n While talks between the commissioner and players have been complicated, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, vice president of the WNBA players\u2019 union executive committee, said Friday that she is happy for Engelbert.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat she\u2019s done for the league is incredible,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cObviously, the CBA negotiation was a tough one, but the way that both sides continue to have a huge win is really important. So really happy for her and hope that she continues to remember that and reflect on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Stewart had said before July\u2019s All-Star Game that there was a respect for Engelbert among the players but not much of a relationship.<\/p>\n Engelbert, who turns 62 in November, told AP she has been thinking about retiring for months.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first came to the league I intended to do this for 3 1\/2 years,\u201d she said in a phone interview. \u201cThe 7 1\/2 years exceeded that time. This is a really good time given the financial transformation journey we\u2019ve been on. Getting the collective bargaining agreement done, getting a long-term media rights deal done, getting expansion done.\u201d<\/p>\n NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Engelbert in the announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cCathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league\u2019s 30-year history,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are grateful for Cathy\u2019s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women\u2019s basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n Engelbert: Several unidentified successors on league\u2019s radar<\/p>\n The WNBA commissioner said she has been working on a succession plan over the last few years. While she didn\u2019t give any specifics on who might be considered for the position, Engelbert did say there are both internal and external potential candidates on the league\u2019s radar.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good time to hand it off to the next leader to take the \u2018W\u2019 into a better phase,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m proud of the team we built and everything we accomplished. A leader knows when it\u2019s time to drop the mic and move on after building a powerhouse team in the league office.\u201d<\/p>\n Engelbert added that she has mixed emotions about leaving.<\/p>\n \u201cI love women\u2019s basketball and am not going anywhere yet. We\u2019ll run a real succession process in the remaining four months. If we don\u2019t find someone I\u2019ll stay on,\u201d she said. \u201cI had no transition. I walked in the door and I was by myself as no one transitioned me into this role.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully I can help this next leader transition in especially considering the elevation of this league.\u201d<\/p>\n The WNBA has grown at an exponential rate during Engelbert\u2019s tenure as commissioner, with record television ratings, strong attendance, a new long-term media rights deal and expansion to 18 teams by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n \u201cI was brought in as a business leader to transform the business,\u201d she said. \u201cI look at revenue and merchandise, viewership and attendance,\u201d she said, noting how they\u2019ve all improved. \u201cA great leader senses when it\u2019s time for someone else to come in. When I came in, this league was facing questions about our long-term viability and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n Turmoil and tension part of Engelbert\u2019s tenure<\/p>\n Engelbert said the growth of the league has \u201cblown away her expectations\u201d since she stepped into her role after leaving her previous position as president of Deloitte in 2019.<\/p>\n Besides the new CBA, the list of things she is most proud of includes getting charter travel for players, keeping the league going during the coronavirus pandemic, the historic media rights deal and exponential increase in the value of WNBA franchises. In 2019, the average value of a WNBA franchise was $10 million; in 2026, it is about $460 million.<\/p>\n Along with the financial gains, however, turmoil and tension have accompanied the WNBA\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n