WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire after 2026 season

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of the 2026 season, the league announced on Friday .

"After more than seven years at the WNBA and more than 40 total years in business, I have made the decision to retire as WNBA Commissioner," said Engelbert in a statement. "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 told The Associated Press that she felt the time was right to retire following the "financial transformation journey [the WNBA has] been on." She added that the decision was her own and she did not receive any pressure to step down.

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Engelbert was named the league's first-ever commissioner in May 2019 and has overseen two collective bargaining agreement negotiations and helped grow the league via a $3.1 billion media rights deal, as well as the addition of expansion teams. By 2030, the WNBA will have grown from 12 to 18 teams following the additions of franchises in San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.

Another feather in Engelbert's cap was the COVID-shortened 2020 season played in the "Wubble" at IMG Academy in Florida, avoiding the cancellation of the season amid the pandemic.

"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 in a statement. "We are grateful for Cathy's leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women's basketball."

Silver had previously praised Engelbert's work but had been noncommittal about her future, while Engelbert was similarly evasive when asked directly about her plans at July's All-Star Game in Chicago.

Engelbert's tenure has not been without controversy. She was notably criticized over the last year by multiple players calling out her leadership. Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx said during last year's playoffs that under Engelbert, the league had the "worst leadership in the world." Nneka Ogwumike, head of the WNBA players' union, told ESPN she agreed with Collier's assessment.

While players cooled on their direct criticism of Engelbert after the new CBA was agreed to, the league continues to face challenges as it grows. Among other things, the next commissioner will be faced with addressing the transgender athlete issue that has permeated discussion around the league.

The WNBA has not announced who will succeed the 61-year-old Engelbert as commissioner. She told the AP she has been working on a succession plan for the past year, which will feature internal and external candidates.

"It's a good time to hand it off to the next leader to take the 'W' into a better phase," Engelbert said. "I'm proud of the team we built and everything we accomplished. A leader knows when it's time to drop the mic and move on after building a powerhouse team in the league office."