If you have noticed the WNBA getting louder and larger, you are not imagining it. On Friday, the league said Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner, intends to step down at the end of 2026. She reflected on her start, saying, "In 2019, I had the privilege of being appointed the league's first commissioner and to lead a league with enormous potential yet untapped awareness and significant undervaluation. Over the years, it has been amazing to watch WNBA players thrive and lead the massive cultural surge around women's sports."
The WNBA reports that television audiences have climbed roughly 454% since 2019, and in arena attendance is up about 70%. Corporate sponsorships and franchise valuations have also surged. CNBC's Official WNBA Team valuations for 2026 peg the average team at $460 million. The Golden State Valkyries, which joined in 2025, are valued at $1 billion, making them the inaugural women's franchise in any sport to hit that milestone. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver put it bluntly: "Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league's 30-year history."
Under Engelbert, the league's footprint is slated to grow from 12 to 18 franchises by 2030. Earlier this year, she played a central role in securing a historic collective bargaining agreement that delivered the biggest salary increases the WNBA has ever recorded. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike summed it up: "Being able to have your worth tied mostly in your salary is all that we've been fighting for, and it's what we were able to achieve."
For all the momentum, Engelbert's tenure drew pushback from some players regarding pay, officiating concerns, and how she handled incidents of racism and online harassment. Many players also argue that benefits and protections have not kept pace with the surge in attention on the league.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier did not mince words: "We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But, right now, we have the worst leadership in the world." More recently, worries have mounted that more anxiety has grown that Engelbert failed to address political demonstrations over transgender women playing sports in an adequate way, which have increasingly overshadowed the season in recent weeks.
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At present, the WNBA has no publicly known trans players.
No successor has been named, but Engelbert closed on a note of appreciation, thanking owners across the WNBA and NBA along with team staff, players, investors and fans who backed the league's rise. "I retire knowing we have built something bigger, stronger and more enduring than we could have imagined," she said. "I retire with immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come." For your wallet, the headline is simple: more viewers and fuller arenas are translating into higher franchise values and bigger sponsor checks, not just buzz.
