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The WNBA announced Friday that commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring from her position at the end of 2026.
Engelbert, 61, was named the WNBA’s first-ever commissioner in 2019, essentially replacing current NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who was the WNBA’s interim president from 2018 to 2019.
In a statement regarding her decision to step away, Engelbert said, “After more than seven years at the WNBA and more than 40 total years in business, I have made the decision to retire as WNBA commissioner. In 2019, I had the privilege of being appointed the league’s first commissioner and to lead a league with enormous potential yet untapped awareness and significant undervaluation. Over the years, it has been amazing to watch WNBA players thrive and lead the massive cultural surge around women’s sports.”
Engelbert has been a polarizing figure during her time as WNBA commissioner, but the growth the league has experienced under her leadership is undeniable.
The WNBA went from a 12-team league when her tenure started to what is soon to be an 18-team league with the additions of expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia from 2028 through 2030.
On top of that, the WNBA currently has $3.1 billion worth of media rights contracts, and the newest collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified in March, resulted in the first $1 million salaries for WNBA players, as well as revenue sharing, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
“Cathy Engelbert stepped into the WNBA at a pivotal moment and helped guide the league through a period of extraordinary change,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in a statement. “As the league’s first Commissioner, she championed new growth initiatives, created innovative marketing opportunities for players, and helped drive historic expansion as franchise values reached new heights.”
Despite her successes on the business side, Engelbert has been the subject of criticism from WNBA players at times for various reasons, including issues with officiating and poor player salaries and accommodations prior to the current CBA.
Last year, Minnesota Lynx superstar forward and WNBA Players Association vice president Napheesa Collier offered a scathing assessment of Engelbert.
“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said. “If I didn’t know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn’t feel this way, but unfortunately for them, I do. We serve a league that has shown they think championship coaches and Hall of Fame players are dispensable and that’s fine. It’s professional sports, but I will not stand quietly by and allow different standards to be applied at the league level.”
It isn’t yet known who will succeed Engelbert, but time is running short on her tenure.
Each team has only a handful of regular-season games remaining before the playoffs start this month. The WNBA Finals will then take place next month, signaling the end of the 2026 campaign.
By the time the 2027 WNBA draft is held in April, which is the first major event on the WNBA calendar next year, the league figures to be under new leadership.
