WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has announced a major change. She will retire after the 2026 season comes to a close.
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The WNBA and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the news on Friday with a press release. They said that Engelbert will end her seven-year tenure with the WNBA, and she will head into retirement. Meanwhile, the league will search for only its second-ever commissioner.
"Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league's 30-year history," said Silver in the press release.
"We are grateful for Cathy's leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women's basketball."
Engelbert took over the professional basketball league in 2019 and quickly faced a challenge. She had to help the sport navigate through COVID-19 protocols and complete the season in 2020. She achieved this by helping create the WNBA Bubble in Bradenton, Florida.
One year later, she introduced the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, an in-season challenge that awards a championship title and portions of a prize pool.
Engelbert has overseen the WNBA as the league has grown in multiple ways. It has expanded its schedule multiple times, first to 44 games in 2025. The league will expand its regular-season schedule to 50 games next season.
The league has also expanded from 12 teams to the expected 30 by the year 2030. This includes the newly-announced Cleveland Sirens, which will begin play in 2028.
These expansion efforts have come as Engelbert led a $75 million capital raise. This marked a major investment in women's sports, and it created opportunities for growth.
"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," said Engelbert.
"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."
