Embattled WNBA commissioner Engelbert mum on job status for '27 - ESPN

CHICAGO — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert avoided directly answering a question about whether she expects to be in her job at the start of the 2027 season during her annual All-Star Weekend news conference Saturday.

«I'm so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period,» Engelbert said. «So blessed that these players are putting the product on the court they are every night. They stand for the values that the W has long sought for.

»So, I will just continue to do my job, execute the strategy, because it has been working. Make sure we listen to the players, communicate with the players. Absolutely just love this league and blessed to have had the career I had before and the career I have now, and just mostly the team we've built at the league."

The question came as Engelbert's leadership has faced scrutiny over the past 10 months in particular. ESPN had recent conversations with more than 20 owners, management executives, players and other industry insiders who shared a general sentiment that, for as much business growth as Engelbert has overseen, she is not the right person to navigate the demands the league currently faces and what its stakeholders now need.

Multiple high-ranking team sources also told ESPN they believe that the 2026 season will likely be Engelbert's last.

Engelbert has consistently deflected questions about her future. Her boss, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, said earlier this month that while he is pleased with where the WNBA is under Engelbert, «we'll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.»

Engelbert's address also included the announcement that the league will be launching a centralized replay center beginning with the 2027 season. Engelbert