WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert‘s contract with the league is set to expire at the end of this season, and she seemed to be dodging the question about her future with the W. Engelbert, who began her journey as the Commissioner on May 15, 2019, has led the league to some of its best years, including the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) deal and spearheading exponential league growth. Ahead of this year’s All-Star Game, Engelbert was asked whether she would still be serving as commissioner when the next season starts, but her answer was anything but conclusive.
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“I am so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hyper-growth period. So blessed that these players are putting a product on the court every night. That they stand for the values that the W has long sought for.”
“I will just continue to do my job, executive, the strategy because it has been working, make sure we listen to the players, communicate with the players,” she added while speaking to reporters per a video posted by Front Office Sports‘ Colin Salao on X. “Absolutely just love this league and blessed to have had the career I had before and the career I have now. And mostly just the team we build at the league.”
She continued, highlighting the WNBA’s momentum with an extended response. While she said that she will continue her work, possibly hinting towards a renewal of her contract post this season, she never confirmed whether she intends to remain as commissioner beyond the expiration of her current contract.
Engelbert’s answers come at a time when her future has become increasingly uncertain, with multiple reports leading up to the All-Star break highlighting that owners, front offices, and even players are skeptical that she is the right choice to lead the league into the future.
Earlier in July, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke about conversations regarding Engelbert’s future in the league, per a report by The Athletic.
“Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league and we’ll have ongoing discussions about (her future).”
While Silver was non-committal as well, there has been no shortage of criticism towards Engelbert in the league. Late last year, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier publicly took shots at WNBA leadership, calling it “worst leadership in the world” and accusing Engelbert of being “negligent”. Since then, another ESPN article reported that an anonymous team owner expressed dissatisfaction with the Commissioner.
“I don’t see any change [since Napheesa Collier’s comments]. I don’t think she’s learned significantly based on her failures.”
Through all of this, WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and Vice President Breanna Stewart have not taken a stance regarding Engelbert’s future in the league either.
Cathy Engelbert herself previously dodged the question a few months earlier at the WNBA Draft. Despite the record viewership and attendance numbers during her tenure, her future with the league does not seem secure.
However, she did arrive with one major announcement for one of the league’s most scrutinized issues.
Replay center headlines league’s biggest officiating investment amid growing criticism
Cathy Engelbert announced that the WNBA will be introducing a replay center, similar to the NBA, to help officials during games, marking one of the largest investments the league has made to its basketball operations.
It will operate similarly to the NBA’s version of the center in Secaucus, New Jersey, and will let multiple officials contribute with support during replay reviews through access to multiple camera angles and dedicated personnel to improve consistency while reducing the length of reviews during games. The Head of WNBA league operations, Bethany Donaphin, elaborated on the process in an official WNBA release on July 26.
“As the WNBA continues its extraordinary growth, we’re committed to investing in every aspect of the game, including the technology and resources that support players, teams, and officials. Leveraging the NBA’s state-of-the-art replay center is an important step in the continued evolution of our game. It allows us to enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews while embracing innovations that strengthen the competition and deliver the best possible experience for all our stakeholders.”
The league had previously formed a task force to improve officiating during the offseason, but it has seemingly not paid off, with much of the recent criticism of officiating coming after the on-court altercation between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark. The replay center is part of a league-wide attempt to reduce such instances of on-court altercations, allowing for fouls to be called more accurately and efficiently.
Thomas was suspended after the fact for reckless contact, but her hit on Clark’s throat went unpunished during the game and caused a lot of outcry from fans and even Fever head coach Stephanie White.
“You’ve got to call it,” White said at the time. “It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful.”
Only time will tell if the addition of the replay center improves officiating circumstances, just as it will also reveal Cathy Engelbert’s future with the league.