Who will replace Cathy Engelbert as the next WNBA commissioner?
Mitch Northam breaks down Cathy Engelbert’s decision to retire as WNBA commissioner and looks at potential candidates to replace her.
Studio IX
- Cathy Engelbert announced she will retire as WNBA commissioner at the end of the year after a tenure that began in 2019.
- During her time, Engelbert oversaw two collective bargaining agreements, league expansion, and a historic media rights deal.
- Her leadership was also marked by controversies, including criticism from players over her handling of social issues and player safety.
Cathy Engelbert’s complicated tenure as WNBA commissioner is coming to an end, with the embattled executive announcing Friday, Sept. 4, she plans to retire at the end of this year.
Engelbert, who was previously CEO of professional services firm Deloitte, has served as the WNBA’s top executive since May 2019. She led the league through the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiations for two collective bargaining agreements signed in 2020 and 2026, the awarding of multiple expansion franchises and several controversies.
Here’s a timeline of events that highlighted Englebert’s tenure with the WNBA:
May 15, 2019: Cathy Engelbert hired as first WNBA commissioner
The WNBA switched its top job title from president to commissioner when Engelbert took over from Lisa Borders shortly before the league’s 2019 season began. Engelbert stated in a “SportsCenter” appearance that she would prioritize fan engagement, fan experience and player experience in her new role.
Jan. 14, 2020: WNBA, players agree to eight-year CBA
Engelbert helped negotiate the groundbreaking CBA that took effect before the 2020 season and increased player salary and additional cash compensation. The agreement also introduced 50-50 revenue split — but only if certain goals were hit on marketing and broadcast deals. That did not happen until the final season of the deal in 2025. The agreement also allowed players to receive full salary while on maternity leave and guaranteed players would fly premium economy on commercial airlines and receive individual hotel rooms during regular-season travel.
July to October 2020: The WNBA’s ‘Wubble’ season
In reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, the WNBA held its entire 2020 season in an isolation bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The regular season was shortened to 22 games, all played without fans in attendance, and was notable for players’ social justice advocacy following the killing of George Floyd.
The league dedicated its opening weekend to the Black Lives Matter movement and the WNBA and its players’ union later created a joint social justice council. In August, the WNBA postponed games to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
WNBA players also influenced a U.S. Senate race in Georgia by publicly supporting Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock, an opponent of Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler, the Republican incumbent. After Loeffler criticized the league’s social justice activism, WNBA players reached out to Warnock and later wore “Vote Warnock” T-shirts before nationally televised games. Warnock eventually beat Loeffler in a runoff.
Feb. 3, 2022: WNBA raises $75 million from investors
In what amounted to the largest-ever capital raise for a women’s sports property at the time, Engelbert sold a 16% equity stake to a group of new investors and existing team owners. The money was used to fund the league’s marketing and infrastructure. However, in January 2026, Front Office Sports reported the WNBA was exploring buying back the 16% stake.
February to December 2022: Brittney Griner detained in Russia
While traveling to play basketball in Russia during the WNBA offseason, Griner was arrested and detained in Russia for nearly 10 months after customs officials found vape cartridges containing hash oil in her luggage.
The WNBA and WNBPA communicated with the United States government and advocated for Griner’s release. Throughout the 2022 WNBA season, every team’s home court featured a “BG42” decal, Griner’s initials and jersey number.
On Dec. 8, 2022, Griner was released in a prisoner swap after the U.S. government agreed to free Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
May 7, 2024: WNBA’s charter flight rollout
The WNBA announced it would begin charter air travel for all 12 of its teams for the 2024 season. The development occurred weeks after the league drafted Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who brought increased exposure to the WNBA, and nearly a year after a high-profile incident that threatened player safety.
In June 2023, Phoenix Mercury security had to step in when a YouTuber harassed Brittney Griner in a Dallas airport. Several players had also spoken out about how delays and other issues common with commercial travel negatively impacted their recovery. The league had previously banned individual teams from booking charter flights because it said it would create a competitive advantage.
July 17, 2024: WNBA agrees to historic media rights deal
Engelbert helped negotiate an 11-year, $3.1 billion media rights deal to begin in the 2026 season. The deal was initially with Disney, NBC and Amazon and worth $2.2 billion, but later added partners USA Network, Paramount, Scripps and NBA TV and increased the value.
September 2024: Engelbert faces backlash after comments
The WNBA players’ union and several individual players criticized Engelbert for not taking a stronger stance against racism and hate speech directed at players on social media after the commissioner appeared to downplay the issue during a television interview. When asked by CNBC about the problematic tone of online conversations surrounding the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry, Engelbert praised the rivalry for bringing more visibility to the WNBA. Although Engelbert later explicitly denounced racism and hate in a post on X, players said they were disappointed in her initial remarks.
June 30, 2025: WNBA announces expansion to 18 teams
The WNBA awarded expansion franchises to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia to begin play by 2030, increasing the league’s total number of teams to 18 from 12 that existed when Engelbert was hired as commissioner. Engelbert previously oversaw the addition of expansion teams the Golden State Valkyries (2025), Toronto Tempo (2026) and Portland Fire (2026).
Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia each paid a WNBA record $250 million expansion fee.
August to September 2025: Connecticut Sun sale gets messy
Engelbert and the WNBA were criticized for how they handled the sale of the Connecticut Sun after the league shut down competitive offers from multiple prospective ownership groups seeking to buy the team from the Mohegan Tribe.
In March 2026, the league announced Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta had agreed to purchase the Sun and would relocate the team to Houston to revive the Comets WNBA franchise. The deal became final in May.
Sept. 30, 2025: Napheesa Collier blasts Engelbert, WNBA leaders
Minnesota Lynx All-Star Napheesa Collier used her end-of-season media availability to unleash a scathing critique of the WNBA’s governance and what she described as a “lack of accountability from the league office.” Collier also aired a private conversation with Engelbert, in which she said the commissioner brushed off concerns about officiating and said players should be grateful for what they earn.
March 2026: Marathon WNBA CBA negotiations end
Negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA dragged on for almost 18 months before the two sides finally agreed to a landmark CBA on March 18 and avoided a work stoppage for the 2026 season. The new deal, which runs through 2032, increased player pay five fold and allows for salary cap and revenue share increases over the lifetime of the agreement.
Aside from being long, the negotiations were contentious and visible, with players at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game sporting black “Pay Us What You Owe Us” T-shirts before the game.
June to August 2026: WNBA players targeted with racial abuse
After Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas received a one-game suspension for a foul against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark in a June 24 game, Thomas said she received death threats and racial abuse and called for the WNBA to do more to protect players.
Following Thomas’ comments, Engelbert issued a statement said the league “vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate.”
Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray and Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby both spoke out after they received racist messages. Hilton Grand Americas fired the employee who sent a racist slur to Gray, and Acclaro Medical fired the employee who sent a racist text to Hamby. The WNBA released statements supporting both players and condemning the abuse.
August 2026: WNBA at center of transgender athlete conversation
On Aug. 21, Engelbert criticized attempts to “sow divisiveness” in the WNBA by people using the league as a platform to discuss the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports.
Although no transgender women play in the WNBA, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made headlines when she said in an ESPN story she wanted to protect women from playing against “biological men.” Cunningham’s comments sparked a wave of demonstrations outside WNBA arenas from people both supporting and denouncing transgender athletes’ participation in sports. A Seattle Storm co-owner was suspended for five home games for comments she made to fans of Cunningham. On Aug. 16, a security guard at an Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever game asked two fans to cover up their XX-XY Athletics shirts.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld states’ right to ban transgender girls and women from participation in women’s sports and 27 states currently have passed legislation barring transgender girls and women from participating in women’s sports. Just 1% of people aged 13 and over in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to a 2025 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law, and the prevalence of known transgender athletes is even fewer.
The Human Rights Campaign reported in 2023 that 19% of transgender youth nationwide were playing sports, including fewer than 1,300 who played sports in school. In 2024, NCAA president Charlie Baker testified to the Senate that he knows of fewer than 10 transgender students out of 510,000 college athletes.
In an Aug. 12 statement, the WNBA said, “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others,” in response to campaigns by former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, who are men, to declare themselves eligible for the 2027 WNBA draft.