When you look at Stephen A. Smith’s words at first glance, they might sound rude. As he shared, “Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the league… let me say for the record: You should resign. You need to resign. Period.” But it seems almost half of the league has been on the same note ever since Napheesa Collier burst out during her exit interview. Still, no matter who’s against her, Cathy Engelbert’s not going anywhere just yet!

As multiple star players criticized her, Engelbert finally addressed them ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 Finals. “I have been in touch with Napheesa, we’ve exchanged texts, we’re talking next week, so I think obviously a lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say, and I will tell you I highly respect the players… You know, I’m a human too. I have a family. I have two kids who are devastated by these comments, and so all I’ll say is just, you know, it’s obviously been a tough week, and I just think there’s a lot of inaccuracy out there,” she said.

The Minnesota Lynx forward, who also serves as a VP for the executive committee of the WNBPA, criticized Cathy’s leadership during her exit interview. It was after she endured a season-ending ankle injury due to the physicality allowed by the league and what Reeve saw as an uncalled foul.

The head coach even got ejected, fined $15,000, and received a one-game suspension for her reaction to the play and her comments on officiating afterward. So clearly, as things piled up, Collier couldn’t hold herself back. She cut through the noise and targeted the person right on top: Engelbert. She blasted the league office as “tone deaf” and “dismissive”, often driven by “control and power.”

“We have the best players in the world, we have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier also said. And all this, coupled with how players should be “on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them,” was enough to set the WNBA on fire, which has now spread to every part of the league.

Now, finally, after three days, Cathy broke her silence — only to dismiss every claim.

“Yeah, I certainly, that’s another inaccurate statement out there that everybody reads and takes clickbait on. Obviously, I’ve never been a quitter… never shied away from tough situations… I’ve always been someone who believes in the fact that we have, if there’s things we need to fix, we’re going to fix them,” the commissioner added when asked about resignation.

Cathy Engelbert took up the charge of the league back in 2019 when she was crowned as the first-ever commissioner of the WNBA. Prior to this role, she was CEO of Deloitte, where she became the first woman in history to lead a Big Four professional services firm in the U.S. Clearly, she brought both the skills and experience needed to steer the league into a new era.

And honestly? She delivered. Under her leadership, the WNBA secured its $75 million first-ever capital raise in 2022. Not just that, the league even added six new teams over the last three years, which helped generate $925 million in franchise fees. The new buy-in price alone jumped to $250 million, up from $50 million in 2023.

Record-breaking revenue, expanding franchises, and growing sponsorships signal the league is in the middle of its biggest glow-up yet. So, she won’t let anything go against her at this point. As she herself mentioned, “I said, my staff and the staff of the teams and the owners in this league have made tons of investments to get to where we are today. And so I’m not going to shy away. I’m the commissioner of this league, the leader of this league.” P

layers clashing with the owners isn’t something new in pro sports. In fact, it’s quite common; even America’s most profitable league, the NFL, encounters similar criticism around commissioner Roger Goodell.

He’s often targeted by players and is part of public criticism, yet he knows it’s part of his job to be the players’ shield, and he continues to survive, no matter how sharp the discourse. He ensures money flows in. But in the case of the WNBA, it seems the fight is more than just typical player-owner tension.

What’s next?

The WNBA commish’s handling of Phee’s allegations has thrown a spotlight on growing tensions within the league. At its core, a commissioner is meant to be the bridge between ownership and players, but Collier’s critique revealed cracks in Cathy’s rapport. And, now, the implications are quite clear. The player-commissioner relations are under scrutiny, and with October 31st as a looming CBA negotiations deadline, sponsors, fans, and future negotiations may feel the ripple effects. So, W’s narrative of progress could clash with the perception that leadership is out of touch.

But, do you know, it all could’ve been avoided. It ain’t the first time a player has called out the commissioner. Earlier in July this year, it was Saby who put it out as a statement: “I’ve talked to Adam Silver about it a lot… Players feel comfortable and confident going up to him,” she said. She even claimed to prefer Silver over Engelbert. And, if the commissioner could have sensed the growing divide between the WNBA and its players earlier, much of this could have been prevented. But the damage is done. What’s coming next? Replacing Engelbert mid-negotiations is unlikely, but the need for stronger relationships between players and ownership is undeniable.