A major leadership change is coming to the WNBA. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of this year, bringing an end to a seven-and-a-half-year run that saw the league experience some of the biggest growth in its history. Engelbert’s final day as commissioner will be December 31, and the process of finding her replacement is expected to begin soon.
Engelbert took over in 2019 as the first person to officially hold the title of WNBA commissioner, and the league has changed dramatically since then. During her time in charge, the WNBA secured major new media rights agreements, expanded into new markets and saw franchise values rise significantly. The league also introduced full-time charter flights for teams and continued expanding its regular season schedule as interest in women’s basketball reached new levels.
One of the biggest developments came this year with a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players. The agreement introduced the WNBA’s first million-dollar player salaries along with a new revenue-sharing system. Engelbert also helped lead the league through the difficult 2020 season, when the WNBA played inside a bubble in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Engelbert’s time as commissioner hasn’t come without controversy. Her leadership faced growing criticism from players over the past year, with concerns involving officiating, communication and the league’s response to harassment directed at players. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier became one of the most outspoken critics of Engelbert’s leadership, publicly calling for improvements in how the league was being run.
Despite those tensions, Engelbert says the decision to retire was her own and that she wasn’t pressured to step away. She believes the timing is right after overseeing several major changes to the league’s business and financial structure. Some players have also recognized the progress made during her tenure, including Breanna Stewart and WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, who acknowledged Engelbert’s role in guiding the league through a period of major change.
And that growth is difficult to ignore. When Engelbert became commissioner, the WNBA looked very different from the league we see today. Expansion is underway, more money is flowing into women’s basketball, franchise values have climbed dramatically and the league has reached a much larger audience. By 2030, the WNBA is expected to have 18 teams after spending nearly two decades with just 12 franchises.
Now, the WNBA will have to decide who leads its next chapter. Engelbert will remain commissioner through the end of December, giving the league time to begin searching for its next leader. Whoever takes over will inherit a league with more attention, money and opportunity than it had when Engelbert arrived, but they’ll also face major challenges when it comes to maintaining relationships with players and managing the league through its continued growth.
After more than seven years at the top, Cathy Engelbert is preparing to step away. Her time as commissioner included both major accomplishments and significant criticism, and now one of the most important leadership transitions in WNBA history is about to begin.