WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure | National Sports

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring at the end the year, bringing to a close her seven-plus years at the helm of the league and a stewardship that has been transformative and at times tumultuous.

Engelbert is the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, and she helped negotiate a lucrative collective bargaining agreement this past spring that resulted in the league’s first set of million-dollar player salaries.

kAm%92E 8C@HE9 92D 366? 244@>A2?:65 3J 2 D6C:6D @7 9625=:?6\8C233:?8 5:DEC24E:@?D 7@C E96 =628F6 F?56C 96C =6256CD9:A[ 6DA64:2==J 😕 E96 =2DE J62C] $96 925 2 DEC2:?65 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96 A=2J6CD 5FC:?8 E96 4@?EC24E ?68@E:2E:@?D[ 2?5 E96 a_ae D62D@? 92D 366? 5@>:?2E65 3J 4@?EC@G6CD:6D DFCC@F?5:?8 @77:4:2E:?8 2?5 E96 EC2?D86?56C 5632E6 2=@?8 H:E9 2 =2C86 2>@F?ED @7 D@4:2= >65:2 324<=2D9 282:?DE (}qp A2CE:4:A2?ED]k^Am

kAmt?86=36CE E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD E92E E96 564:D:@? E@ =62G6 H2D D@=6=J 96C @H? 2?5 E92E D96 5:5 ?@E 766= 2?J AC6DDFC6 E@ DE6A 5@H? 7C@> }qp @C (}qp DE2<69@=56CD 367@C6 uC:52JVD 2??@F?46>6?E] $96 :?D:DED D96 92D 2 8@@5 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 A=2J6CD]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E2=>:DD:@?6C 2?5 A=2J6CD 92G6 366? 4@>A=:42E65[ }6H *@C< {:36CEJ 7@CH2C5 qC62??2 $E6H2CE[ G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 (}qp A=2J6CD’ F?:@? 6I64FE:G6 4@>>:EE66[ D2:5 uC:52J E92E D96 😀 92AAJ 7@C t?86=36CE]k^Am

kAm“(92E D96’D 5@?6 7@C E96 =628F6 😀 :?4C65:3=6[” $E6H2CE D2:5] “~3G:@FD=J[ E96 rqp ?68@E:2E:@? H2D 2 E@F89 @?6[ 3FE E96 H2J E92E 3@E9 D:56D 4@?E:?F6 E@ 92G6 2 9F86 H:? 😀 C62==J :>A@CE2?E] $@ C62==J 92AAJ 7@C 96C 2?5 9@A6 E92E D96 4@?E:?F6D E@ C6>6>36C E92E 2?5 C67=64E @? E92E]”k^Am

kAm$E6H2CE 925 D2:5 367@C6 yF=JVD p==\$E2C v2>6 E92E E96C6 H2D 2 C6DA64E 7@C t?86=36CE 2>@?8 E96 A=2J6CD 3FE ?@E >F49 @7 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A]k^Am

kAmt?86=36CE[ H9@ EFC?D ea 😕 }@G6>36C[ E@=5 p! D96 92D 366? E9:?<:?8 23@FE C6E:C:?8 7@C >@?E9D]k^Am

kAm“(96? x 7:CDE 42>6 E@ E96 =628F6 x :?E6?565 E@ 5@ E9:D 7@C b `^a J62CD[” D96 D2:5 😕 2 A9@?6 :?E6CG:6H] “%96 f `^a J62CD 6I466565 E92E E:>6] %9:D 😀 2 C62==J 8@@5 E:>6 8:G6? E96 7:?2?4:2= EC2?D7@C>2E:@? ;@FC?6J H6’G6 366? @?] v6EE:?8 E96 4@==64E:G6 32C82:?:?8 28C66>6?E 5@?6[ 86EE:?8 2 =@?8\E6C> >65:2 C:89ED 562= 5@?6[ 86EE:?8 6IA2?D:@? 5@?6]”k^Am

kAm}qp r@>>:DD:@?6C p52> $:=G6C AC2:D65 t?86=36CE 😕 E96 2??@F?46>6?E]k^Am

kAm“r2E9J 92D AC6D:565 @G6C E96 (}qp E9C@F89 E96 >@DE D:8?:7:42?E A6C:@5 @7 8C@HE9 😕 E96 =628F6’D b_\J62C 9:DE@CJ[Q 96 D2:5] Q(6 2C6 8C2E67F= 7@C r2E9J’D =6256CD9:A 2?5 F?H2G6C:?8 4@>>:E>6?E E@ E96 25G2?46>6?E @7 H@>6?’D 32D<6E32==]”k^Am

k9amt?86=36CEi $6G6C2= F?:56?E:7:65 DF446DD@CD @? =628F6VD C252Ck^9am

kAm%96 (}qp 4@>>:DD:@?6C D2:5 D96 92D 366? H@C<:?8 @? 2 DF446DD:@? A=2? @G6C E96 =2DE 76H J62CD] (9:=6 D96 5:5?’E 8:G6 2?J DA64:7:4D @? H9@ >:89E 36 4@?D:56C65 7@C E96 A@D:E:@?[ t?86=36CE 5:5 D2J E96C6 2C6 3@E9 :?E6C?2= 2?5 6IE6C?2= A@E6?E:2= 42?5:52E6D @? E96 =628F6’D C252C]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 8@@5 E:>6 E@ 92?5 :E @77 E@ E96 ?6IE =6256C E@ E2<6 E96 ‘(’ :?E@ 2 36EE6C A92D6[” D96 D2:5] “x’> AC@F5 @7 E96 E62> H6 3F:=E 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 244@>A=:D965] p =6256C @HD H96? :E’D E:>6 E@ 5C@A E96 >:4 2?5 >@G6 @? 27E6C 3F:=5:?8 2 A@H6C9@FD6 E62> 😕 E96 =628F6 @77:46]”k^Am

kAmt?86=36CE 25565 E92E D96 92D >:I65 6>@E:@?D 23@FE =62G:?8]k^Am

kAm“x =@G6 H@>6?VD 32D<6E32== 2?5 2> ?@E 8@:?8 2?JH96C6 J6E] (6V== CF? 2 C62= DF446DD:@? AC@46DD 😕 E96 C6>2:?:?8 7@FC >@?E9D] x7 H6 5@?VE 7:?5 D@>6@?6 xV== DE2J @?[Q D96 D2:5] Qx 925 ?@ EC2?D:E:@?] x H2=<65 😕 E96 5@@C 2?5 x H2D 3J >JD6=7 2D ?@ @?6 EC2?D:E:@?65 >6 :?E@ E9:D C@=6]k^Am

kAm“w@A67F==J x 42? 96=A E9:D ?6IE =6256C EC2?D:E:@? 😕 6DA64:2==J 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 6=6G2E:@? @7 E9:D =628F6]”k^Am

kAm%96 (}qp 92D 8C@H? 2E 2? 6IA@?6?E:2= C2E6 5FC:?8 t?86=36CE’D E6?FC6 2D 4@>>:DD:@?6C[ H:E9 C64@C5 E6=6G:D:@? C2E:?8D[ DEC@?8 2EE6?52?46[ 2 ?6H =@?8\E6C> >65:2 C:89ED 562= 2?5 6IA2?D:@? E@ `g E62>D 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 564256]k^Am

kAm“x H2D 3C@F89E 😕 2D 2 3FD:?6DD =6256C E@ EC2?D7@C> E96 3FD:?6DD[” D96 D2:5] “x =@@< 2E C6G6?F6 2?5 >6C492?5:D6[ G:6H6CD9:A 2?5 2EE6?52?46[” D96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 9@H E96JVG6 2== :>AC@G65] “p 8C62E =6256C D6?D6D H96? :E’D E:>6 7@C D@>6@?6 6=D6 E@ 4@>6 :?] (96? x 42>6 :?[ E9:D =628F6 H2D 724:?8 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE @FC =@?8\E6C> G:23:=:EJ 2?5 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ]”k^Am

Story continues below video

k9am%FC>@:= 2?5 E6?D:@? A2CE @7 t?86=36CEVD E6?FC6k^9am

kAmt?86=36CE D2:5 E96 8C@HE9 @7 E96 =628F6 92D “3=@H? 2H2J 96C 6IA64E2E:@?D” D:?46 D96 DE6AA65 :?E@ 96C C@=6 27E6C =62G:?8 96C AC6G:@FD A@D:E:@? 2D AC6D:56?E @7 s6=@:EE6 😕 a_`h]k^Am

kAmq6D:56D E96 ?6H rqp[ E96 =:DE @7 E9:?8D D96 😀 >@DE AC@F5 @7 :?4=F56D 86EE:?8 492CE6C EC2G6= 7@C A=2J6CD[ <66A:?8 E96 =628F6 8@:?8 5FC:?8 E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4[ E96 9:DE@C:4 >65:2 C:89ED 562= 2?5 6IA@?6?E:2= :?4C62D6 😕 E96 G2=F6 @7 (}qp 7C2?49:D6D] x? a_`h[ E96 2G6C286 G2=F6 @7 2 (}qp 7C2?49:D6 H2D S`_ >:==:@?j 😕 a_ae[ :E 😀 23@FE Sce_ >:==:@?]k^Am

kAmp=@?8 H:E9 E96 7:?2?4:2= 82:?D[ 9@H6G6C[ EFC>@:= 2?5 E6?D:@? 92G6 244@>A2?:65 E96 (}qp’D 8C@HE9]k^Am

kAm!=2J6CD D2J E96J 92G6 D66? >@C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H?32\D64FC:EJ\@?=:?6\4=2C<\3cf3_fbeh7febdb_44c357abgadeb24bQmD@4:2= >65:2 G:EC:@=k^2m 5:C64E65 E@H2C5 E96> @G6C E96 =2DE 76H J62CD 2?5 D@>6 5@?VE 766= E96 =628F6 92D 5@?6 6?@F89 E@ 6?DFC6 E96:C D276EJ] %96 =628F6 2=D@ 92D 366? 2E E96 46?E6C @7 5:D4FDD:@?D 23@FE EC2?D86?56C 2E9=6E6D A=2J:?8 😕 E96 =628F6]k^Am

kAmt?86=36CE 92D C6A62E65=J D2:5 E96 @?=:?6 2EE24

kAm“(6 92G6 ?@ 4FCC6?E 6=:8:3:=:EJ :DDF6D 😕 E96 (}qp[Q t?86=36CE D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E “:7 H6 5:5[ H6 H@F=5 92G6 2 E9@F89E7F= A@=:4J 5:D4FDD:@? H:E9 E96 WA=2J6CDV 2DD@4:2E:@?X 2?5 E96 A=2J6CD]”k^Am

kAmt?86=36CE D6?E 2 =6EE6C E@ 2== E96 A=2J6CD uC:52J >@C?:?8 😕 H9:49 D96 HC@E6 E92E D96 925 “6?@C>@FD AC:56 😕 H92E H6VG6 244@>A=:D965 E@86E96C[ AC@7@F?5 8C2E:EF56 7@C E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ =625 2=@?8D:56 @7 J@F[ 2?5 4@>A=6E6 4@?7:56?46 E92E E96 7FEFC6 @7 E96 (}qp 😀 3C:89E6C E92? 6G6C]”k^Am

k9am(92EVD ?6IE 😕 t?86=36CEVD 7FEFC6nk^9am

kAmt?86=36CE D2:5 D96 😀 C625J E@ 5@ H92E >@DE C6E:C66D A=2?i DA6?5 >@C6 E:>6 H:E9 72>:=J]k^Am

kAm$96 2=D@ 25>:EE65 E92E E96 @?=:?6 92E6 D96 C646:G6D 92D 27764E65 96C 72>:=J[ E9@F89 D96 5:5 ?@E D92C6 56E2:=D @7 E96 :>A24E]k^Am

kAm“%96C6 92G6 366? D@>6 92C5 A2CED @7 E92E @? >J 72>:=J H:E9 E96 G:EC:@= 2?5 92E6 x 86E @?=:?6[” t?86=36CE D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6C C6E:C6>6?E H:== >2<6 96C >@E96C 92AAJ]k^Am

kAm“|J >@> 😀 EFC?:?8 h_ E9:D J62C[ 2?5 D96 D2:5 E92E ‘:E H@F=5 36 8@@5 :7 J@F H6C6 C6E:C65 E@ DA6?5 >@C6 E:>6 H:E9 >6[VQ t?86=36CE D2:5[ =2F89:?8] “x 92G6 EH@ 49:=5C6?[ @?6 x 32C6=J D66]k^Am

kAmQx’> @?6 @7 6:89E <:5D W2?5 xX 92G6 7:G6 3C@E96CD] %96J 2=H2JD D2J 42? J@F C6E:C6 D@ J@F 42? DA6?5 >@C6 E:>6 H:E9 FD]Qk^Am

kAmr@>6 y2?] `[ 96C 72>:=J H:== 86E :ED H:D9]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! (}qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^H?32\32D<6E32==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^H?32\32D<6E32==k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.