Cathy Engelbert never meant to be WNBA commissioner for seven years

Cathy Engelbert has admitted that her seven-year tenure as the WNBA's first commissioner -- which has coincided with the league's boom in popularity -- never was supposed to last this long.

"I had only intended to do this job for three-and-a-half years,” Engelbert told The IX Sports' Howard Megdal in an exclusive interview published upon her announcement that she would step down from her role at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Engelbert's stint as commissioner has had its highs and lows. The later years of her WNBA stewardship have seen the league undergo incredible growth, which coincided with Caitlin Clark's entry into the pro ranks in 2024.

MORE: Cathy Engelbert replacements: Mark Tatum, Nneka Ogwumike lead list of candidates to become WNBA's next commissioner

However, Engelbert's ability to handle the scale of change and growing interest in the WNBA has been questioned, and her relationship with the WNBPA became frosty during tense collective bargaining negotiations in 2025.

BREAKING: Cathy Engelbert has decided to retire as #WNBA commissioner at the end of the 2027 calendar year. She spoke to our @howardmegdal about this decision: https://t.co/Yfb1k8t7zr

“When I came in, we were facing some serious questions about our long-term viability and sustainability,” Engelbert told Megdal. “But I knew the game was great, and I’m grateful now to be leaving the league in a strong position. And I think it’s no longer a league like when I came in. I think people thought it was a charity… we’re literally a premier global sports property now.”

It's true that under Engelbert's guidance, the WNBA is poised to expand to 18 teams by decade's end, and the former Deloitte CEO has overseen the skyrocketing of franchise valuations over the past three years. Viewership of WNBA broadcasts is higher than ever, and the league is in the first season of a new $3 billion media rights deal.

But Engelbert has not been able to shield the league from attacks by bad-faith actors like Enes Kanter Freedom. Ensuring player safety remains a priority that the WNBA struggles to meet; racist messages and death threats hound some of the league's stars, and the next commissioner will be tasked with streamlining efforts to stamp that unacceptable behavior out of the game.

Engelbert's legacy will be complicated. But there is little doubt that she left the WNBA in a more profitable place than she found it, as player salaries have grown with the ratification of the new CBA and more eyes are pointed toward the league than ever before.

More WNBA news:

• Caitlin Clark needed one game to break a 28-year-old FIBA World Cup mark

• Paige Bueckers reveals what makes Caitlin Clark chemistry so deadly at FIBA World Cup

• Caitlin Clark introduced herself to the FIBA World Cup as only she could

• Enes Kanter Freedom files lawsuit against Chicago Sky in response to ban