WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced on Friday that she will be retiring from her role at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Engelbert, 61, has held the commissioner role since July 2019. She is the second-longest president or commissioner in the league’s history.
“Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “We are grateful for Cathy’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women’s basketball.”
While the league has seen tremendous growth over the past seven years, there have been numerous questions about Engelbert’s leadership style, most notably her ability to foster a strong relationship with the league’s players.
Following a season-ending injury and the Lynx’s elimination from the playoffs last season, Napheesa Collier called out Engelbert in an explosive end-of-season press conference where she called the commissioner the “worst” leader in the world.
“The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office,” said Collier. “Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity of which it operates.
“Whether the league cares about the health of our players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.”
Collier revealed that Englelbert previously had told her “only losers complain about the refs” and that “players should be on their knees thanking their lucky star for the media rights deal that she got them.”
Engelbert responded, calling Collier’s characterizations of the conversations “disheartening.” However, in the following days, numerous WNBA stars came out in support of Collier’s statements.
Engelbert was part of the negotiations with the WNBA Players Union earlier this year on a new CBA that saw increased player salaries and benefits. However, those talks dragged out and almost forced a delayed start to the campaign.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Engelbert “insists” the decision to leave is her own and that she did not feel pressure to step down.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Lynx section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.