CHICAGO — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sidestepped a question Saturday regarding her future.
During her annual press conference ahead of the All-Star Game, Engelbert was directly asked a yes-or-no question regarding whether she expected to be in her job at the start of the 2027 season.
“I will just continue to do my job, execute the strategy because it has been working,” Engelbert said.
That line was probably the most telling part of her two-minute answer.
She also highlighted some tangible examples of how the league office and its infrastructure have grown under her guidance.
“Obviously, I am so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period,” Engelbert said. “So blessed that these players are putting a product on the court they are every night, that they stand for the values that the W has long sought for.”
Engelbert’s working relationship with players, especially the league’s stars, has been under a microscope for quite some time.
The criticism, though, intensified over the past year amid contentious negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and now as the league faces a variety of troublesome issues, including online harassment, security concerns and officiating problems.
After last season, Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasted the WNBA for having the “worst leadership in the world.”
She also said the “real threat” to the league isn’t money, ratings or officiating, but a lack of accountability at the top.
Several players said they don’t have close relationships with Engelbert, including Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who said she talks with NBA commissioner Adam Silver more.
All of this has brought into question Engelbert’s job security as her contract is set to expire at the end of this year, according to Front Office Sports.
Could this be it for Engelbert?
Or maybe the better question is whether Engelbert is the right leader to steer the WNBA into its next chapter?
WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart isn’t sure.
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s not my place to say if she should be here or she should not.”
Engelbert got defensive when asked about her future at the WNBA draft in April — just weeks after NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared noncommittal when asked a similar question.
The WNBA has seen unprecedented growth since Engelbert became the league’s first commissioner in 2019.
She noted Saturday that the league is on pace to shatter attendance records and has already surpassed TV viewership numbers from last season.
For all the good Engelbert has done, she hasn’t been perfect.
The 16 percent stake sale for $75 million in 2022, viewed as a necessity at the time, has aged poorly.
Her inability to form meaningful relationships with players is notable.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike emphasized Friday that “The relationship between players and leadership is incredibly important.”
Ogwumike said players and Engelbert are still investing in building trust.
“I’m hoping that she’s felt like we’ve been able to do that, but I do think moving forward, we have to get better at maintaining that line of communication between players, whether it’s through player leadership or even just individual players,” Ogwumike said. “There’s a lot of players in this league, but I want people to feel approachable, to be able to discuss things with her without having to do it in a reactive sense.”
Engelbert said she’s trying to toe the line of reaching out an appropriate amount but not overdoing it.
She said the league sends out a lot of emails, which she noted players don’t always check.
She also said she reached out to players when they’re being honored or after they suffer injuries.
“Everybody needs to be better at communication, I think, all the time,” Engelbert said. “So we’ll continue to work on that and communicate.”
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