NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 13: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of 2026, closing out over seven years guiding the league’s significant transformation, according to Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Engelbert told the Associated Press she has been considering retirement for months and insists the decision was entirely her own.
Major milestones for the league under Engelbert’s leadership
The backstory:
Engelbert served as commissioner for more than seven years, making her the second-longest tenured in league history, according to Silver. Engelbert was a part of negotations for a collective bargaining agreement during the spring that introduced the first set of million-dollar player salaries in the WNBA,.
During Engelbert’s tenure the league saw record television ratings, higher attendance, a historic new media rights deal, expansion plans to 18 teams by the end of the decade and a dramatic increase in franchise value, with average values jumping from $10 million in 2019 to $460 million in 2026.
Timeline:
Engelbert stepped into the role in 2019 after serving as president of Deloitte.
"When I first came to the league I intended to do this for 3 1/2 years," Engelbert said in a phone interview with the Associated Press. "The 7 1/2 years exceeded that time. This is a really good time given the financial transformation journey we've been on."
Engelbert led the league through the coronavirus pandemic, implemented charter travel for players, and presided over what Silver called "the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history."
Challenges and reactions from within the league
The other side:
Engelbert’s tenure faced tensions, including strained relations amid collective bargaining talks and ongoing conversations about how the league handles social media harassment aimed at players and controversial topics like the eligibility of transgender athletes.
"We have no current eligibility issues in the WNBA," and added that if an issue arose, the league would address it with "a thoughtful policy discussion," Engelbert said,
Player relationships with league leadership have also been complex. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty forward and vice president of the players’ union executive committee, said before the All-Star Game that players respect Engelbert, but "just not much of a relationship."
What's next:
Engelbert has been developing a succession plan, but did not name who may be in the running for the commissioner role. She said both internal and external candidates are on the league’s radar.
"We’ll run a real succession process in the remaining four months. If we don't find someone I'll stay on," she said.
Personally, Engelbert said she plans to focus on family, including her 90-year-old mother and two children, once she steps down.
"There have been some hard parts of that on my family with the vitriol and hate I get online," Engelbert said.
The Source: This article contains information from the Associated Press, WNBA and NBA, and interviews conducted by the Associated Press.