Outgoing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the search for her replacement is ongoing, adding she hopes her successor is named by the end of the calendar year.
Engelbert made the comments on Thursday, Nov. 12, following the WNBA's annual competition committee meeting in New York, which brings together league coaches and general managers to dissect the previous season. The 2026 campaign wrapped on Oct. 31 with the Golden State Valkyries being crowned champions.
Back in September, Engelbert announced her retirement, effective Dec. 31. When asked on Thursday if her successor will be named before the new year, Engelbert told a group of reporters, "I hope so."
If the search extends past the 2026 calendar year, Engelbert told The Associated Press
that she'll stay on as commissioner until her replacement is named.
Engelbert wouldn't comment on how many candidates are being considered, but she previously stated one requirement her replacement will need to lead the league through a period of growth and controversy.
"You have to have very thick skin," Engelbert said ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco. "And you have to have confidence that we can continue this growth trajectory and confidence in building relationships with players and agents, the board of governors, the owners and the stakeholders."
Engelbert said she's been working on her succession plan for about three and a half years and noted that she receives periodic updates from Excel Search & Advisory, the search firm tasked with interviewing potential replacements.
"We have internal and external candidates," Engelbert said on Oct. 17. "The good news is there's a lot of interest in the job, which I'm excited about. I think there's a lot of different characteristics I think we are all looking for. ... I had candidates that I submitted; a lot of us did. And a lot of people have called. The good news is there's people who really want to take on this role, which I think is great."
Engelbert took over as WNBA commissioner in 2019 after working at Deloitte for more than 30 years, serving as the company's CEO since 2015. Engelbert ushered in exponential growth throughout her seven-year tenure at the helm of the WNBA, while simultaneously raising questions about her ability to lead the league through an era of increased attention.
The WNBA and its teams skyrocketed in value during Engelbert's tenure, television ratings rose and player salaries increased under the new CBA signed into effect earlier this year. The WNBA expanded from 12 to 15 teams by the 2026 season, with Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) set to join the league over the next four years. Engelbert also helped negotiate an 11-year, $3.1 billion media rights agreement.
"I certainly never set out to become the commissioner of the WNBA. When I accepted this role in 2019, after more than three decades at Deloitte, I thought it would be a brief final chapter in a long career in business. Instead, it became seven and a half of the most meaningful, demanding and rewarding years of my life," Engelbert said on Oct. 17. "I leave with enormous pride in what we accomplished together, profound gratitude for the opportunity to play a part in this league's story, and complete confidence that the WNBA's brightest days are still ahead."
Contributing: Meghan L Hall
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Outgoing WNBA commissioner hopes replacement is named before year ends
