News that Cathy Engelbert will step down as WNBA commissioner at the end of the 2026 season sent shockwaves through the league on Friday, Sept. 4.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Engelbert's decision to retire at the end of the year, bringing her polarizing seven-year tenure that saw exponential growth and increased scrutiny to a close. Engelbert helped oversee a transformational collective barging agreement earlier this spring, her second at the helm of the W since becoming the league's first commissioner in 2019.
“Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history,” Silver said in a statement. “We are grateful for Cathy’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement
of women’s basketball.”
Silver wasn't the only voice in basketball to comment on the news. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike and WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson both chimed in following Engelbert's retirement announcement.
Here's are their reactions:
Nneka Ogwumike
Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, like Englebert, will retire from the WNBA at the end of the season, said she has "great respect for the commitment Cathy" brought to her role.
“Cathy Engelbert stepped into the WNBA at a pivotal moment and helped guide the league through a period of extraordinary change," Ogwumike said in a statement shared by the WNBPA. "As the league’s first Commissioner, she championed new growth initiatives, created innovative marketing opportunities for players, and helped drive historic expansion as franchise values reached new heights. That expansion speaks to the growing confidence among investors, partners, fans, communities, the players, and to the long-term sustainability of women’s basketball as a business."
Ogwumike added, "Leading through this much change is no small undertaking... We appreciate all she has given to the WNBA and the stronger foundation she leaves for the league and the players.”
Terri Carmichael Jackson
WNBA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson acknowledged her relationship with Engelbert was tumultuous at times — "Cathy and I have been through a lot together over the years. We didn't always agree." —but Jackson noted that they always had the same vision for the league's potential.
“There's no question the WNBA has grown tremendously during Cathy Engelbert's time as Commissioner. She brought a significant amount of business experience to the league and helped make the case for the value of The W and the opportunity in front of it," Jackson said in a statement shared by the WNBPA. "We absolutely shared a belief in what this league could become and in building a better future for the women at the heart of it."
Jackson added, "We navigated some consequential challenges and breakthroughs, including two collective bargaining agreements that changed the trajectory of women's sports. Cathy stayed committed to doing the work and finding a way forward. At the end of the day, that's what matters. Leaving the game better than you found it. I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish together and, on behalf of our player membership, I wish Cathy and her family nothing but the best in whatever she chooses to do next.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA labor leaders respond to commissioner Cathy Engelbert's retirement
