NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finds himself in the crosshairs of the WNBA’s new commissioner search amid a very dramatic time for the sister league. There’s been a fair degree of intrigue and fan backlash after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham revealed that Silver personally reached out to her to discuss the upcoming WNBA commissioner vacancy. With current WNBA head Cathy Engelbert set to step down at the end of 2026, Silver is expected to lead the executive search for her successor. However, Silver’s choice to consult Cunningham, a role player who has faced intense public scrutiny, has drawn sharp criticism across basketball circles.
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Popular sports commentator and creator behind highlightreelASMR, simply known as Garry, publicly questioned Silver’s rationale for seeking advice from Cunningham over star players or union representatives.
“Adam Silver reached out to Sophie Cunningham. Not the other way around. And they discussed who the new commissioner should be for the WNBA,” Garry stated in a viral video. “Look bro, I don’t get it. What am I missing? She actually said they speak pretty often. Now the weirdest part about this whole thing is that I could find no credible evidence of Adam Silver reaching out to any other WNBA players, consulting them on who the next commissioner should be.”
Although he’s not contesting if Silver and Cunningham did discuss the subject, Garry questioned why. He launched a scathing critique regarding Cunningham’s role on the court and her status within the league hierarchy to have an unofficial administrative function.
“Sophie you like, you kind of a– bro. Like you’re not even that good. But you can hit a three when you open,” Garry remarked. “When was the last time you heard of a commissioner reaching out to somebody that comes off the bench. I’ll tell you one thing. Sophie Cunningham is a very smart person and she just always finds a way to stay relevant. But I gotta say bro, I don’t know if this is the right person to be consulting.”
Addressing Cunningham’s recent public controversies over her vocal stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, Garry added, “Just think about the s—storm that has happened recently because Sophie can’t keep her transphobic mouth closed. Is this really the person we should be consulting about anything? Like does she even have a role on the players union or players association or whatever… Like is she even present in those meetings? Have other players come to her with grievances for her to pass along? Probably not.”
The controversy began after Engelbert announced that she would retire as WNBA commissioner at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Towards the end of Engelbert’s tenure, the league experienced explosive commercial growth, negotiating a lucrative multi-billion-dollar media rights deal, expanding from 12 to 18 teams by 2030, and raising franchise valuations to record levels.
However, her leadership faced friction with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) over player safety, charter flights, and player compensation.
Because the WNBA commissioner operates directly under the NBA’s organizational umbrella, Silver holds ultimate authority over the appointment. Following a Fever practice during the FIBA World Cup break, Cunningham confirmed her dialogue with the NBA chief.
“I have talked to Adam Silver a couple times, and I think he’s a great guy,” Cunningham said. “He was very knowledgeable and full of wisdom, and so getting to talk to him and hear his perspective of how he approaches the NBA is huge, who he’s kind of looking for. I think if you want to know the real answers, you go to him.”
Cunningham emphasized that she hopes Silver selects a leader focused on unifying the locker room and driving economic expansion.
“I think he’s going to put someone in place who really wants to take our league to another level than it’s already at. Our league is booming, so why would we not [want] someone who’s going to make it even more booming?”
While Silver has a documented history of engaging in informal dialogues with athletes across both leagues, critics contend that consulting bench players rather than union leadership risks alienating key stakeholders as the league enters a crucial transition period.