Her tenure has been polarizing. It has been turbulent. It even has featured violence.
But now Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, has announced she is retiring at the end of the year.
The decision ends a seven-year career that featured the league’s first set of million-dollar player salaries. But it also comes as the league is struggling to restore a reputation tarnished by players’ attacks on another player simply for standing up for the rights of girls and women to have their own sports, not invaded by males who say they are female.
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has been pointing out the league’s failings, even to the point of declaring himself to be a woman so he can be in the WNBA draft. He’s also suing one team for its decision to eject him from a game.
Engelbert no sooner had announced her decision than he reacted:
MAKE @WNBA FEMALE AGAIN
Commissioner Freedom Has a Nice Ring to It.
While the reported retirement of #WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is a win for women and an admission that the league’s rules must change, her retirement does not solve the systemic issues which must be… pic.twitter.com/QqIQ3bwKsX
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) September 4, 2026
Breaking: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will be retiring at the end of the calendar year after holding the position for seven years, sources told @alexaphilippou. pic.twitter.com/GKw5IpUeou
— ESPN (@espn) September 4, 2026
A report from CBS explained NBA commissioner Adam Silver commented, “Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history. We are grateful for Cathy’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women’s basketball.”
Engelbert said, “When I first came to the league, I intended to do this for 3 1/2 years. The 7 1/2 years exceeded that time. This is a really good time given the financial transformation journey we’ve been on. Getting the collective bargaining agreement done, getting a long-term media rights deal done, getting expansion done.”
The report also noted the “turmoil.”
“Players say they have seen more social media vitriol directed toward them over the last few years and some don’t feel the league has done enough to ensure their safety. The league also has been at the center of discussions about transgender athletes playing in the league,” the report noted.
A report at the Gateway Pundit pointed out that Engelbert got lucky when University of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark joined the league.
“Clark the most prolific scorer in NCAA history and top assist leader was drafted number one by the Indianapolis Fever in 2024. This was after Clark and Iowa set ALL-TIME women’s basketball audience records in the 2024 NCAA tournament. Clark garnered a larger audience than the NCAA men’s teams!”
The report pointed out that Clark broke “every record imaginable” in basketball.
But the report charged the WNBA “did nothing” as Clark was repeatedly assaulted, verbally and physically, for standing up for women in women’s sports.
‘No threats. No violence. Just biology’: Enes Kanter Freedom tells WNBA team, ‘See you in court’
