Overview
- Engelbert announced on Sept. 4 that she will retire effective Dec. 31, 2026, and said she will help run a formal succession process and remain temporarily if no successor is ready by year-end.
- Under her seven-year tenure the league secured an expanded media-rights portfolio reported near $3.1 billion, completed a $75 million capital raise, and grew from 12 to 15 teams with plans to reach 18 by 2030.
- Engelbert helped negotiate the 2026 collective bargaining agreement that raised the salary cap to about $7 million and produced the WNBA’s first seven-figure annual contracts and a reported $1.4 million supermax in 2026.
- Her time as commissioner saw repeated public clashes with players over issues such as officiating, player safety and online harassment, including sharp criticism from Napheesa Collier and public calls for greater league accountability.
- The next commissioner will inherit expanded revenues, higher player pay and a larger schedule alongside unresolved governance challenges that will test the league’s ability to translate commercial growth into trust and safety for players.