Enes Kanter Freedom Eyes WNBA Commissioner Role After Engelbert Retirement
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of 2026, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Friday. Engelbert, 61, has held the role since May 2019.
- Average WNBA franchise value rose from $10 million in 2019 to $460 million in 2026.
- 11-year, $3.1 billion media rights deal was negotiated during her tenure.
- League expanded from 12 to 18 teams; three more cities launch by 2030.
- The new CBA produced the league's first million-dollar player salaries.
Why it matters: Engelbert leaves a league transformed financially but unsettled on several fronts. Players, policy disputes, and a drawn-out CBA process strained her relationship with the union.
- New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said players respect Engelbert but do not have much of a relationship with her.
- The league has not established a formal eligibility policy for transgender athletes.
How 31 sources split on this story
Where they split: Left-leaning outlets emphasize league growth and unresolved player safety concerns; right-leaning outlets lead with transgender eligibility disputes and criticism of Clark's on-court treatment.
Center coverage, 13 sources: The center presents a mixed ledger — significant business gains alongside governance controversies — without foregrounding any single political flashpoint.
USA Today1w+WNBA thrived despite Cathy Engelbert. She won't be missed | Opinion
Associated Press1w+Cathy Engelbert se jubilará en diciembre tras agitado mandato de 7 años y medio al frente de la WNBAabcabc27 (WHTM)1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure
CNBC1w+WBNA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire at the end of 2026CNCTV News1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure
ESPN1w+What WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert's retirement means - ESPN
Heavy1w+Adam Silver Makes Cathy Engelbert Announcement Before WNBA Season EndsKSAKSAT 12 San Antonio1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure
Newsweek1w+Cathy Engelbert announces retirement amid WNBA's Sophie Cunningham controversyNOTNOTUS1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to Retire at Season’s End - NOTUS — News of the United StatesSNScripps News1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after seven year tenure
TMZ1w+WNBA Commish Cathy Engelbert Retiring At End Of SeasonLeft coverage, 7 sources: The left frames Engelbert's exit as the close of a transformative era, stressing record growth metrics and lingering tension over player welfare and social media abuse.
NBC News1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert retiring at the end of 2026BosBoston.com1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure
CBS News1w+WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after 7 years: "This is a really good time"
Los Angeles Times1w+WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at year's end
Mediaite1w+Enes Kanter Freedom Claims He Wants to be WNBA Commissioner and Make League ‘FEMALE AGAIN’TPIThe Philadelphia Inquirer1w+Cathy Engelbert did next to nothing to help the WNBA. Its next commissioner has to be a real leader.Right coverage, 11 sources: The right leads with the transgender eligibility debate and criticism that Engelbert failed to protect or market star players like Caitlin Clark.
The Post Millennial1w+BREAKING: WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire at end of year
Fox News1w+Cathy Engelbert will be remembered as the commissioner who made the WNBA deeply political and divisive
Daily Mail1w+WNBA insider reveals what Caitlin Clark and her fellow stars REALLY think of Cathy Engelbert's decision to retire
WND1w+‘I’ll bring a dictionary’: Enes Kanter Freedom offers to be WNBA commissioner * WorldNetDaily * by Joe Kovacs
Breitbart News1w+Enes Kanter Freedom Wants to Be WNBA Commissioner: 'MAKE THE WNBA FEMALE AGAIN'
New York Post1w+WNBA’s next commissioner will have to check a lot of boxes — before the critical work begins
RedState1w+One Stunning and Brave Woman Has Stepped Forward to Announce Candidacy for WNBA Commissioner
The Gateway Pundit1w+WATCH: Enes Kanter Freedom Offers to Replace Outgoing WNBA Commissioner, Bring a Dictionary, and ‘Make the WNBA Female Again’ After Cathy Engelbert Steps Down * The Gateway Pundit * by Cassandra MacDonald
The Daily Wire1w+Major Change Coming To WNBA As Gender Debate Rages On
The Western Journal1w+JUST IN: WNBA Commissioner to Step Down
Townhall1w+WNBA Commissioner to 'Retire' After Chaotic SeasonWhat’s next: Engelbert said both internal and external candidates are under consideration for her replacement.
- She will stay on if no successor is selected within the four-month window.
- Who will the WNBA select as its next commissioner, and on what timeline?
- Will the league formalize a transgender athlete eligibility policy under new leadership?
- How will the commissioner-player relationship be reset after a contentious CBA process?