Cathy Engelbert dodges question about her future as WNBA commissioner with criticism mounting
CHICAGO — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sidestepped a question Saturday regarding her future.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.
During her annual press conference ahead of the All-Star Game, Engelbert was directly asked a yes-or-no question regarding whether she expected to be in her job at the start of the 2027 season.“I will just continue to do my job, execute the strategy because it has been working,” Engelbert said.That line was probably the most telling part of her two-minute answer.She also highlighted some tangible examples of how the league office and its infrastructure have grown under her guidance.“Obviously, I am so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period,” Engelbert said.
“So blessed that these players are putting a product on the court they are every night, that they stand for the values that the W has long sought for.”Engelbert’s working relationship with players, especially the league’s stars, has been under a microscope for quite some time.The criticism, though, intensified over the past year amid contentious negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and now as the league faces a variety of troublesome issues, including online harassment, security concerns and officiating problems.After last season, Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasted the WNBA for having the “worst leadership in the world.” She also said the “real threat” to the league isn’t money, ratings or officiating, but a lack of accountability at the top.Several players said they don’t have close relationships with Engelbert, including Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who said she talks with NBA commissioner Adam Silver more.All of this has brought into question Engelbert’s job security as her contract is set to expire at the end of this year, according to Front Office Sports.Could this be it for ...