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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December
Engelbert's seven-plus years as commissioner included a new collective agreement, charter travel, major media rights and franchise-value growth, alongside tensions over player safety and online abuse.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of the year after more than seven years leading the league through a period of rapid growth and, at times, significant tension.
Engelbert, the second-longest-serving WNBA president or commissioner, helped negotiate a collective bargaining agreement this spring that produced the league's first million-dollar player salaries. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said she led the WNBA through the most significant growth period in its 30-year history.
Engelbert, who turns 62 in November, said she had considered retirement for months and chose this point after the new collective agreement, a long-term media rights deal and expansion progress. She said the decision was hers alone, without pressure from NBA or WNBA stakeholders.
She has worked on succession planning for several years and said the league has internal and external candidates on its radar. Engelbert said she would help the next leader transition and would remain if no successor is found in the next four months.
The league recorded strong attendance and television ratings during her tenure and is set to expand to 18 teams by the end of the decade. Engelbert said average franchise values rose from US$10 million in 2019 to about US$460 million in 2026. She also pointed to charter travel for players and maintaining the league during the COVID-19 pandemic as achievements.
The growth has coincided with concerns about online abuse and player safety. Engelbert said attacks on players are unacceptable and supported league protection initiatives. She said the WNBA has no current eligibility issues involving transgender athletes, but would hold a thoughtful policy discussion with the players' association and players if one arose.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, vice-president of the WNBA players' union executive committee, said the collective bargaining negotiations were difficult but called Engelbert's work for the league incredible. Engelbert said retirement would allow her to spend more time with family, while acknowledging that online hate has affected them.