Already in the spotlight after a groundbreaking statement from Napheesa Collier, news about WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert is making more waves.
According to a report from the Sports Business Journal on Tuesday, Engelbert is likely to exit as commissioner after CBA negotiations are finalized this off-season due to pressure inside league circles.
A WNBA spokesperson denied the report, calling it “categorically false,” per the Sports Business Journal.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lynx superstar Collier called the executive branch at the WNBA the "worst leadership in the world" and revealed private conversations between her and the commissioner.
“This past February, I sat across from (Engelbert) and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league,” Collier said. “Her response was, ‘Well, only the losers complain about the refs.’ I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like (Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers), who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league and are making so little for their first four years."
Negotiations between the league and its players' union on a new CBA are ongoing, with a deadline set for Oct. 31. However, a report from Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports indicated that the deadline is likely to pass without a deal, forcing an extension of the deadline to avoid a work stoppage.
According to the Sports Business Journal report, Engelbert's departure would be unrelated to the stalemate between the WNBA and the WNBAPA.
Instead, the report pointed out that the decision to leave would be more "relationship-driven," citing her lack of connection with the league's star players — reinforced by the statement given by Collier on Tuesday.
“She’s not a people person,” said another source familiar with Engelbert. “That’s not who she is. It has been an issue (before CBA negotiations).”
Engelbert has been the WNBA's commissioner for the past six years and has overseen the expansion, with the Golden State Valkyries joining this past season and two more (Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire) set to enter for the 2026 campaign.
She also negotiated an 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal worth $2.2 billion, according to a 2024 report by ESPN's Alexa Philippou. That deal took another step on Tuesday, with the league announcing an additional partnership with Versant to broadcast 50 games per season on USA Network.
