Loading…
Basketball
Cathy Engelbert is stepping down as WNBA commissioner after more than seven years that reshaped the league's finances, player contracts, and expansion ambitions.
AIVIASPORT is a women’s sports platform covering the latest women’s sports news, scores, schedules, results, standings, rankings, fixtures, transfers and analysis from major leagues, tours and competitions around the world.
Our women’s football coverage includes the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Women’s Super League (WSL), Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue, Serie A Femminile, Toppserien, A-Liga and Damallsvenskan, as well as major international women’s football competitions.
In women’s tennis, VIASPORT follows the WTA Tour and all four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Our women’s golf coverage includes the LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour (LET) and the major women’s golf championships.
VIASPORT also covers women’s basketball, including the WNBA, as well as women’s boxing, MMA and combat sports. Our boxing coverage follows major fights, world championships, rankings and title bouts across organizations including the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, while our MMA coverage includes major organizations such as the UFC, Professional Fighters League (PFL), Invicta FC, ONE Championship and RIZIN Fighting Federation.
Our wider women’s sports coverage includes athletics, cycling, swimming, winter sports, motorsport and other emerging women’s sports and competitions. From domestic leagues and professional tours to major international championships, VIASPORT brings women’s sports news, live updates, results and analysis together in one dedicated destination.
Cathy Engelbert has confirmed she is leaving her position as WNBA commissioner, bringing to a close a tenure spanning more than seven years. The announcement came on Friday morning via a personal statement.
Engelbert's watch saw the league navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, negotiate two collective bargaining agreements, and lay out an ambitious roadmap to expand to 18 teams by 2030. The most recent CBA proved historic, lifting player salaries and introducing a revenue-sharing model for the first time.
Under her stewardship, the WNBA completed a $75 million capital raise - initially framed as a stabilising measure - and landed an 11-year media rights deal reportedly worth $3 billion. Much of the credit for that broadcast agreement, however, has been directed towards the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver rather than Engelbert herself.
Relations with players were not always smooth. Engelbert drew criticism over her leadership approach, with some questioning how personally connected she was to the athletes. Still, the landmark CBA ratified during her tenure stands as a significant legacy.
Signs of an exit had been building. At the WNBA All-Star Weekend in July, Engelbert sidestepped a direct question about her future beyond the 2026 season, offering only expressions of gratitude for her time at the helm.
Written by
Updated
Copyright 2026 VIASPORT
Eva Hernández, Editor-in-Chief
VIASPORT uses AI to generate, enhance, and quality-assure its journalism. While we strive to create engaging and accurate material, imagery, grammar, and spelling may occasionally deviate from conventional standards.
