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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of 2026, the league announced on Friday. The decision comes as the league has experienced unprecedented growth, but Engelbert has faced criticism from some players over her leadership. A successor has not yet been named. "In 2019, I had the privilege of being appointed the league's first commissioner and to lead a league with enormous potential yet untapped awareness and significant undervaluation. Over the years, it has been amazing to watch WNBA players thrive and lead the massive cultural surge around women's sports," Engelbert said in a statement. During her tenure, the league has seen huge spikes in television viewership, game attendance, corporate sponsorship and franchise valuations. Viewership has jumped roughly 454% and attendance has climbed about 70% since 2019, according to the WNBA. "Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league's 30-year history," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "We are grateful for Cathy's leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women's basketball." The average WNBA team is now worth $460 million, according to CNBC's Official WNBA Team valuations for 2026. The Golden State Valkyries, which joined the league in 2025, are the first women's team in any sport to be valued at $1 billion. Engelbert oversaw the league's expansion from 12 to 18 teams by 2030. She also helped negotiate a landmark collective bargaining agreement earlier this year, leading to the biggest pay increases in the WNBA's history. "Being able to have your worth tied mostly in your salary is all that we've been fighting for, and it's what we were able to achieve," WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike told CNBC Sport in an interview. Yet Engelbert's time as commissioner was often overshadowed by her rocky relationship with some players over compensation, officiating issues and her response to racism and online harassment. Many WNBA players have argued the benefits the league offers and its protections for its players have failed to keep pace with the boom in attention on the WNBA. "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," Minnesota Lynx player Napheesa Collier famously said about Engelbert last year. Most recently, concerns have grown that Engelbert failed to respond appropriately to political protests over transgender women playing sports, which began to overshadow the league's season in recent weeks. There are no known trans players in the WNBA. In her statement, Engelbert said she is grateful to WNBA and NBA team owners, staff, players, investors and fans who believed in what the league could become. "I retire knowing we have built something bigger, stronger and more enduring than we could have imagined," she said. "I retire with immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come."
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