With WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s contract reportedly coming to an end this year, the players’ union, led by WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, has spoken about the situation. The question of who will lead the WNBA into its next chapter has been buzzing for a while now, and at All-Star Weekend in Chicago, Ogwumike addressed Engelbert’s future in the role.

“It’s not on me to decide,” she told reporters as per an X post by reporter Colin Salao of Front Office Sports.

“I think players, as players, like, when leadership is here, we rock with leadership. And so that’s my perspective. You know, Cathy is here. I know there’s a lot of different conversations around the future of our leadership, but I told her that on Monday. Like, this is who we got. This is what we all envision that we want us to be, and we’re going to rock with who we got.”

While Ogwumike’s statement isn’t an endorsement, it is also not a call for change. It highlights one thing: the union isn’t putting its support behind Engelbert, but whoever holds the position at the top of the league.

The timing of Ogwumike’s statement is especially relevant, considering that Engelbert’s contract is set to finish at the end of the 2026 season, and every public comment from a player is being read for signs of where things could be headed.

WNBPA vice president and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart was non-committal in her reaction.

“It’s not my place to say if she should be here or she should not.”

Things don’t look good for Engelbert’s future as the commissioner, especially with recent reporting. According to reporting from ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, who spoke with 20 officials in the WNBA, the consensus among league officials is that though Engelbert has done a good job, this might be her last year as commissioner.

“The hole has just gotten so deep,” Jeff Hunt, a specialist in crisis and reputation management, told Philippou. “She’s in a place now where I don’t really know what she does.”

But regardless of public opinion, the current season has not been ideal for Commissioner Engelbert.

Cathy Engelbert’s Rocky 2026 Season

Criticism for Cathy Engelbert is not unfounded. One of the major talking points has been how she has handled situations involving player safety this season, particularly in the aftermath of the Alyssa Thomas–Caitlin Clark situation, when the Phoenix Mercury forward struck Clark in the throat during a game. Some have argued she hasn’t defended Clark enough, while others counter that she hasn’t defended players who’ve drawn backlash over physical play against her.

According to Sports Business Journal, Engelbert did not originally plan to suspend Thomas. The report also said NBA commissioner Adam Silver encouraged her to hand out a one-game suspension.

Adding to the problem is the fact that she reportedly accepted and then backed out of an interview with Dan Patrick. She could have addressed some of the criticism head-on, but not responding at all caused more image problems.

Engelbert has hesitated to discuss her future when asked, deflecting them in interviews, including one with ESPN last week.

“I’m focused head-down on executing this highly, highly successful 30th season,” Engelbert said back then. “I love this league. We’re going to continue to drive the business. And don’t worry about me. It’s more about the team … that’s what we’ve built here at the W. So, I’m really, really optimistic about where we’re going in the future.”

Engelbert will speak with reporters before the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday. Reporters will likely ask her about ESPN’s report and her future with the league, but only time will tell how much actually becomes clear.