Caitlin Clark’s Excel connection raises questions as Linda Cohn challenges WNBA commissioner search safeguards

The NBA has hired Excel Search & Advisory to help find Cathy Engelbert’s successor as WNBA commissioner, but the choice has already raised questions about possible conflicts of interest. Excel’s parent company, Excel Sports Management, represents WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier. Former ESPN host Linda Cohn has now asked how the company will keep its player representation work separate from the executive search as the league prepares for a major leadership change.Linda Cohn questions Excel’s role in the WNBA commissioner searchCohn focused on the connection between Excel and Caitlin Clark, whose rise has brought major attention to the WNBA. She said the situation deserves clear answers because the same wider company represents players while its search arm is helping identify the person who could lead the league.“Caitlin Clark isn’t just another client,” Cohn said in a video posted on her YouTube channel. “We are talking about a player whose arrival helped accelerate an extraordinary period of attention and business growth around this league. And now an arm of the company that represents her is helping identify the next commissioner of that league.”Cohn also pointed to Excel’s representation of other WNBA players, including Napheesa Collier, and said the league should explain how the two sides of the business will be kept apart.“So I think there’s a completely fair question to ask here. How separate are these operations? What safeguards are in place?” Cohn said. “Who inside Excel Search and Advisory has access to information about these candidates, and who doesn’t, for that matter? Is there a firewall between the executive search business and the agents representing WNBA players? … These are questions that need answers.”The concern is about the process, not a claim that Excel has acted improperly. Public reports have not established that information from the commissioner search has been shared with Excel’s player representation business.Excel Search & Advisory has WNBA ties as Cathy Engelbert prepares to leaveExcel Search & Advisory is the executive search arm of Excel Sports Management. According to Sports Business Journal, the NBA hired the firm to lead the search, while NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will make the final decision on Engelbert’s replacement.The timing is important because Engelbert announced on September 4 that she will retire at the end of 2026 after seven years as commissioner. The WNBA said her tenure included major growth in viewership, attendance, League Pass subscriptions, merchandise sales, sponsorship revenue and franchise values.Excel also has business ties with several WNBA teams. Reports say the company has worked on jersey patch partnerships involving the Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings, while its executive search business has helped professional sports organizations with senior hiring.That makes the company familiar with the league and its wider business structure, but it also explains why Cohn wants more clarity about how the search will be handled.For now, Excel’s job is to identify and vet candidates. The final choice remains with Adam Silver and the NBA Board of Governors. The WNBA has not publicly detailed specific safeguards for separating Excel’s search work from its player representation business.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.