MINNEAPOLIS — When Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier stood at the podium after last season and called WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s leadership “the worst in the world,” she meant it as a message from players who felt unheard. Nearly a year later, with Engelbert set to step down, Collier says the mission behind that nearly four-and-a-half-minute statement succeeded.
The WNBA announced on Sept. 4 that Engelbert will retire at the end of this year after seven seasons as commissioner. Her tenure included steering the league through the pandemic and negotiating two collective bargaining agreements, but it was also marked by growing friction with star players. Sabrina Ionescu had previously said she had a better relationship with NBA commissioner Adam Silver than with Engelbert.
Collier, who serves as first vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, became a leading voice of that frustration. Her viral speech resonated with players across the league, including New York Liberty guard Olivia Miles.
“I really started paying attention to Phee as a trailblazer when she went into the presser that one day and had a little speech and it kind of went viral,” Miles said Friday, before the Liberty beat the Lynx 93-81. “I had known the fight, but I didn’t realize how intentional and how impactful it had to be to really make change and she was one of the first people who kind of spoke up at the time and it was really, really cool.”
Not every player views Engelbert’s record as purely negative. Liberty forward Breanna Stewart credited the outgoing commissioner for the league’s most recent CBA and for managing the league through a difficult period.
“Being commissioner of a league that is growing immensely year by year has to be a tough job but she deserves her flowers,” Stewart said. “Especially with the incredible CBA that we’ve been able to accomplish, she was a part of that, too, and I think sometimes people forget that. But she was dealt a tough hand and she continued to do really well with it.”
Who Comes Next?
Silver has already begun the process of identifying Engelbert’s successor. Both Stewart and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve say they hope the league includes players and other stakeholders in that search rather than leaving the decision entirely to the NBA’s front office.
“We don’t need to be the ones being, like, yes or no or whatever,” Stewart said, “but we are in a partnership.”
Collier has said she’d like to see someone with a sports background take over. Reeve isn’t convinced that’s the top priority.
“It’s really obvious that the first order of business is there’s a lot … in terms of what a commissioner does, and all the people that the commissioner is going to have to not please but to be able to have relationships with every faction,” Reeve said. “It has to be somebody that has an understanding that how you treat people matters and so that interaction that you have, you can be about business. You can do what you need to do, you can make hard decisions. It’s not unlike when a coach is making hard decisions, it’s not unlike when we go through tough times with our team, it’s all in how you handle it. Communication is usually at the heart of that.”
Reeve also emphasized that the next commissioner will need to understand the broader climate facing women’s sports, including protecting athletes from online harassment, as one of the job’s most pressing early challenges.
“Understanding the climate, you know, that’s big,” Reeve said. “Has nothing to do with business or basketball per se but the overall health of our players, physically and mentally, there’s a lot. There’s a lot there. And continuing to capitalize on this time in our league financially and keep it moving forward. I mean, what do we do now after expansion in 2030? What’s the next phase of this? And again, look no further than the past, the NBA successes and trials and tribulations, it’s all going to be what’s ahead for us.”
