LAS VEGAS — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert weaved a web of ambiguity during her media address ahead of Game 1 of the Finals on most topics.
Except for one.
When it came to Fever guard Caitlin Clark and the comments Lynx forward Napheesa Collier alleged she made, Engelbert staunchly denied having ever said the 2024 Rookie of the Year should be “grateful” for the opportunities the league gives her.
“Obviously I did not make those comments,” Engelbert said. “Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game. I’m proud of what she’s put on the court. … I certainly did not say that.”
Earlier this week, Collier set the league ablaze when she called Engelbert out directly in her exit interview.
In a four-minute prepared statement, Collier said the WNBA has “the worst leadership in the world.” She also recounted a private conversation during which she claimed Engelbert said Clark should be “grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
Engelbert did not deny saying “players should be on their hands and knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal I got them,” which Collier also alleged the commissioner told her. Instead, Engelbert said there were a lot of “inaccuracies” on social media and in the reporting that followed Collier’s statement.
She continued by focusing on the fact she’s been in touch with Collier.
“We’ve exchanged texts. We’re talking next week,” Engelbert said Friday. “Obviously a lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say. I will tell you, I highly respect the players.”
Questions about Engelbert’s future as commissioner of the WNBA have swirled inside league circles for the latter part of the 2025 season. They reached a fever pitch following Collier’s exit interview, which received unwavering support from players across the league including Clark, four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, and Women’s National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike.
Asked directly if she is still the right voice to continue as WNBA commissioner beyond this collective bargaining agreement—which expires Oct. 31—Engelbert said she is not a quitter.
“I’m entering my 40th year, actually this month, in business,” Engelbert said. “Never been a quitter. Never shied away from tough situations. I think leadership, the cream always rises to the top. And I’ve always been someone who believes in the fact that if there are things we need to fix, we’re going to fix them.”
Engelbert was named the league’s first commissioner in 2019 after four previous leaders who operated under the title of president. Prior to joining the WNBA, Engelbert spent over 30 years at Deloitte, where she was named CEO in 2015.
Since taking over the WNBA league office, Engelbert successfully led the league through its pandemic season in 2020. She secured a $75 million capital raise in 2022, giving up a 16% stake in the league in the process. In the last three years the league has added six expansion teams—the Golden State Valkyries, Toronto Tempo, Portland Fire, and unnamed future teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia—resulting in a $925 million influx of capital from expansion fees.
When it comes to fixing her relationship with players, Engelbert said sitting down with Collier is where it starts. She added that she’s spoken to “a lot of other players this week who have been great,” and was confident that lost trust will be repaired eventually.
This is the first best-of-seven Finals in WNBA history. If it goes the distance, Game 7 will be played October 17, leaving just two weeks before the CBA deadline. The sides remain far apart on salaries and a revenue sharing system. Engelbert said the league’s priority is balancing a “significant” increase in salaries and benefits with the long term viability of the WNBA’s business.
“We’re trying to return every dollar we possibly can to the players,” Engelbert said. “But we also want to incentivize investment from owners. We want owners to have a viable business, and obviously we’re looking at expansion up to 18 teams by the end of the decade. So, it’s important that those owners coming in have a shot at a viable economic model for the future.”
Engelbert reiterated what she said during All-Star weekend in July about the possibility of an extension to get a deal across the finish line. In 2019, the league and union agreed to a 60-day extension before ultimately ratifying a new CBA in the new year.
There has been speculation about NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s involvement in the negotiations because of the WNBA’s ownership breakdown. The NBA’s 30 owners control 42% of the league while the WNBA’s owners—some of whom are NBA owners—control another 42%. The remaining 16% is owned by a group responsible for the $75 million capital raise in 2022.
Engelbert said Silver is not in the bargaining room.
“It’s me and my team, our negotiators, and our lawyers and the lawyers and staff at the players association,” Engelbert said Friday. “Sometimes players. I give Adam periodic updates and he’s been very supportive of how we’re thinking about the substantial increase in player salaries and benefits.”
