“I have high expectations, and we might as well get that right up front. You have to win a title in five years.” That was the challenge Golden State Valkyries owner Joe Lacob laid down to Natalie Nakase during her interview. At the time, she was still an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces, but instead of being shaken, Nakase leaned in. She impressed Lacob enough to land the job, and in her very first season, she made history, guiding the Valkyries to become the first expansion team ever to reach the playoffs. The payoff? She was crowned the 2025 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year by the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. But it came with its own set of complications.

There were plenty of strong contenders for this award. From Becky Hammon with the Aces, to Cheryl Reeve with the Lynx, to Atlanta’s Karl Smesko. But in the end, it was coach Natalie Nakase who took home the honor. Sadly, though, the moment went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Before the Valkyries’ September 17 home game against the Lynx, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stepped onto the floor to present Nakase with the Coach of the Year award. But the moment quickly took a turn. While announcing her name, Engelbert mispronounced it, saying nah-KAY-see instead of the correct nah-KAH-say.

As you’d expect, the clip went viral in no time. Fans flooded social media with thousands of comments, calling out Engelbert for mispronouncing the name of the newly crowned Coach of the Year.

Cathy Engelbert Criticized After Mispronouncing Natalie Nakase’s Name

While it was no doubt an awkward moment for the commissioner, fans showed little mercy. One blasted, “Zero effort to do the basics. Not knowing the coach of the year’s name in your own league? Beyond shameful, embarrassing, and disrespectful. Laziness on display.” Another simply summed it up as, “Awful.”

And to be fair, the fans weren’t really wrong with their criticism. It’s not a great look for the WNBA commissioner to mispronounce the name of her own Coach of the Year. But at the same time, humans make mistakes, and maybe Cathy deserves a little slack here. Still, you can understand why it stung–this was a huge night for Nakase, and an awkward slip like that could have easily taken away from her moment.

Nakase had already made history this year as the first Asian American head coach in the W. But with this award, she etched her name even deeper, becoming only the second Asian American coach(after Dave Roberts ) across all major U.S. professional sports to win a Coach of the Year honor. This was a massive moment for her. “Yeah, huge honor. Obviously, representation for me matters. Especially when I sit in the seat more and more, and I get to see the fans and I get to meet, you know, little girls that look like me. They come up to me and they say I inspire them, which I would never have thought,” she had said. For some, the whole moment came off as shameful, with one fan commenting, “Her name is so easy to pronounce. What is her problem?”

Most of the backlash toward Engelbert wasn’t just about the mispronunciation. Fans’ frustration runs deeper, tied to everything that’s happened in the W this year–especially the ongoing talks around the new CBA, which are currently stuck in limbo as the WNBPA and the league haven’t been able to reach an agreement. If both sides don’t find a resolution before October 31, the league could be headed for a lockdown.

One frustrated fan even asked, “Can the players negotiate her exit in the new CBA???” Of course, they can’t actually negotiate the commissioner out, but the players have been locked in talks with the league over a better revenue-sharing model ever since the WNBA’s popularity surged. The 2024 season drew 54 million unique viewers and recorded the highest in-person attendance in 22 years–nearly double 2023’s numbers. On top of that, the league announced a $2.2 billion TV deal for the next 11 years, guaranteeing $200 million a year–a 6x increase over the previous ESPN deal. So pushing for more was only natural.

WNBA players currently get just 9.3% of the league’s revenue. To put that in perspective, NBA players take 49–51% of basketball-related income, NFL players get 48%, and NHL players receive 50%. So it’s no wonder the WNBA players have been pushing for a better revenue-sharing model–but so far, no deal has been reached. One fan summed up the community sentiment perfectly, saying, “I WANT HER OUT OF MY LEAGUE.”

To Engelbert’s credit, the WNBA hasn’t been standing still. The league did make a big offer to the players. According to WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, the proposal would raise maximum base salaries to at least $1 million, a fourfold increase, while keeping a structure similar to the current CBA. But the players pushed back, saying what they really need is a fairer revenue-sharing model, which makes complete sense.

Cathy Engelbert has also announced plans to expand the league by five more teams, bringing the total to 18 by 2030. Clearly, she is working toward the betterment of the WNBA. We’re confident a compromise will be reached before next season, but whether it will fully meet the players’ demands is something we’ll have to wait and see.

What are your thoughts on the commissioner? Do you think she’s genuinely working toward the betterment of the league, or do moments like today’s with Natalie Nakase show she doesn’t care as much as many believe? Share your take in the comments below!