By: Reagan McLean
On Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, the National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner, Adam Silver, announced Cathy Engelbert’s retirement from the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) effective at the end of the year. Many fans had mixed reviews about her retirement announcement.
Engelbert helped the WNBA reach its golden era, but her business-first mindset was detrimental to the way the league was and still is growing.
Engelbert took over as commissioner on July 17, 2019. Before this position, Engelbert was elected as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and chair of the company Deloitte’s audit subsidiary. Deloitte is a global network of many different firms. Engelbert was the first woman to be in this position. During her time at Deloitte, Engelbert drove a people-first agenda and helped advance the firm using newer technology, increasing revenue increase by 30%.
With admiration, Silver shared a statement about the work Engelbert has done.
“Cathy is a world-class business leader with a deep connection to women’s basketball, which makes her the ideal person to lead the WNBA into its next phase of growth.”
Silver added, “The WNBA will benefit significantly from her more than 30 years of business and operational experience, including revenue generation, sharp entrepreneurial instincts and proven management abilities .”
With her experience as CEO and chair of Deloitte, Engelbert was expected to elevate the WNBA to the next level.
On SportsCenter, Engelbert opened up about taking on the responsibility of commissioner.
“I’m very excited to be doing something I have a huge passion for, and bring a business lens to the WNBA. As we think about fan engagement, fan experience, player experience – these are all things I’ll be looking at once I transition into the role.”
In her 7 years as commissioner, Engelbert accomplished a lot for the league. From creating the wubble for the 2020 WNBA season at IMG Academy in Florida, which allowed players access to courts amid the pandemic, to expanding the WNBA from 12 teams to 18, one question still remains, since the league is in its “golden age”, why retire now?
On Sept. 30, 2025, after the Minnesota Lynx loss to the Phoenix Mercury during the 2025 WNBA playoffs, Lynx power forward Naphessa Collier made a statement about player treatment and criticized Engelbert’s leadership.
Collier first spoke about the officiating issues in a press interview.
“At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league. Her response was only losers complain about the refs.”
Collier added, “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 our league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was that [Clark] should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her she wouldn’t make anything. In that same conversation, she told me players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”
Collier’s statement helped open fans’ eyes to what viewers saw last season and helped push for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is now effective. Engelbert received boo’s by many WNBA fans when she made a public appearance; however, another problem arose.
Engelbert has a strong background in business and finance. However, being commissioner added another kind of pressure: being public-facing and knowing when to speak up on issues that need to be addressed.
On Aug. 7, 2026, former NBA Center, Enes Kanter Freedom, declared his eligibility for the WNBA draft.
“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA. My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in May 2027,” Kanter Freedom stated.
According to ESPN, the CBA deal signed in March states “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA. There is no further definition of a woman, and the WNBA has no publicly available policy governing eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes.”
Therefore, after further review, Freedom is not eligible to enter the WNBA draft since he is a man.
On Friday, Aug. 23, 2026, Kanter Freedom attended the Chicago Sky v.s. Indiana Fever game at Wintrust Arena wearing a black T-shirt that states “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” Later on, Kanter Freedom got in a verbal altercation with the Sky’s point guard (PG) Natasha Cloud, which led to him being told to leave the arena.
Engelbert addressed the eligibility rules in a memo.
“Our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained. Lastly, preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league’s highest priorities.”
Since the announcement of Engelbert’s retirement, reactions have been mixed.
Stephen A. Smith had a blunt reaction on ESPN.
“About time. Took long enough. They’ve been wanting her gone. You know, wishing her nothing but the best. She helped negotiate the last Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
New York Liberty Power Forward (PF) Breanna Stewart praised Engelbert’s contribution to the WNBA.
“What she’s done for the league is incredible. Obviously, the CBA negotiation is a tough one, but the way both sides continue to have a huge win is really important. So really happy for her and hope she continues to remember that and reflect on that.”
Silver addressed Engelbert’s retirement with gratitude.
“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.”
Despite the good and the bad, Engelbert made a contribution to the WNBA that will never be forgotten by the players or the fans. Although it hasn’t been announced who will be taking over as commissioner yet, whoever takes over can fill Engelbert’s shoes and help elevate the league to be bigger and better than where it started and where it is now, thirty years later.