Arabic version: مفوضة رابطة كرة السلة النسائية كاثي إنغلبيرت تتقاعد في 2026
According to Cnbc, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of 2026 after seven years as the league’s first commissioner. The WNBA announced the decision on Friday, and a successor has not yet been named.
Engelbert, appointed in 2019, said she had led a league with “enormous potential yet untapped awareness and significant undervaluation.” She said it had been amazing to watch WNBA players thrive and lead a cultural surge around women’s sports. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Engelbert had presided over the most significant growth period in the WNBA’s 30-year history.
During her tenure, the league recorded major increases in television viewership, attendance, corporate sponsorship and franchise valuations. WNBA figures show viewership rose roughly 454% and attendance increased about 70% since 2019. CNBC’s Official WNBA Team valuations for 2026 put the average team value at $460 million, while the Golden State Valkyries, which joined in 2025, became the first women’s team in any sport valued at $1 billion.
Engelbert also oversaw expansion from 12 teams toward 18 teams by 2030 and helped negotiate a collective bargaining agreement earlier this year that brought the largest pay increases in league history. Her leadership also drew criticism from some players over compensation, officiating, racism and online harassment concerns, and the league’s protections for players. Minnesota Lynx player Napheesa Collier said last year that the WNBA had “the worst leadership in the world.” Engelbert said she was retiring with gratitude and optimism for the league’s future.
