WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to Retire at End of Year

Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA's first commissioner, will retire at the end of 2026. She has been in the role since 2019, when she was appointed by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. During her tenure, Engelbert oversaw significant growth in women's basketball, including expansion to new cities such as San Francisco, Portland, and Toronto, with further expansions planned for Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

Engelbert also negotiated a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2025, which increased player compensation. According to Engelbert, she had initially intended to serve for 3 1/2 years but ended up serving for 7 1/2 years. She cited the financial transformation of the league, the collective bargaining agreement, and the long-term media rights deal as key accomplishments.

Engelbert faced criticism from players over her leadership style, with some players, including Napheesa Collier, questioning her leadership and accusing her of being negligent, according to Sportico and Yahoo Sports. Engelbert said she is retiring with "immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come."

Brief written by urgent.news from Sportico, Yahoo Sports, CNBC, SB Nation, Front Office Sports — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.