Sophie Cunningham details what WNBA chief Cathy Engelbert was really like behind the scenes
Sophie Cunningham details what WNBA chief Cathy Engelbert was really like behind the scenes
Jarrod CastilloFri, September 11, 2026 at 10:31 PM UTC
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Sophie Cunningham lifted the lid on what it was like to communicate with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert -Credit:YouTube: @No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen
Sophie Cunningham shared some insight into what it was like to be in the room with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
At the end of 2026, Engelbert, the WNBA's embattled boss, will step down, allowing a new face to lead the league into its next era. The 61-year-old's tenure as the commissioner was filled with ups and downs, with more controversies stemming over the last few seasons.
Now, Cunningham, the Indiana Fever star, gave a behind-the-scenes look on her podcast at her conversations with Engelbert, describing how awkward some meetings were.
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"But I think under previous people who are leading like we would be in the same room with each other, say you're the commissioner, we wouldn't even say hi and there would only be like five people in the room — like is that not weird or awkward?" Cunningham told Hanlen, her new cohost.
"Just be friendly — just be a human, like whatever."
She then outlined what qualities she believes the next commissioner should have, especially as they take over a rapidly growing league, which has been overtaken by outside noise in recent weeks.
"So I do think they need to be bold," the Fever star surmised. "They need to be confident — I understand that they pretty much work for these billionaires who make a lot of money and they've invested a lot of money in us players and in this league.
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Cathy Engelbert will be walking away from the WNBA at the end of the 2026 calendar year -Credit:Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
"And so we're not always going to be getting along but I do think knowing that this new commissioner is going to be for the players and there's going to be a direct line of communication and like I said, we're not always going to agree, but I think there's a level of respect that you can have and just being a human of being friendly and nice.
"I think that's a really good start." Notably, one of the critiques leveled against Engelbert was just how detached she was from the players, which led to an incredibly icy relationship, one that took center stage during the latest round of CBA negotiations.
In years prior, Engelbert even called the wrong player to announce they had made an All-Star team, ringing up Gabby Williams' phone instead of Washington Mystics star Sonia Citron's number.
That was just one of the many faux pas committed by the outgoing commissioner during her time at the helm of the league.
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Now, the WNBA will look ahead to see who will replace Engelbert after she announced she would retire at the end of the 2026 calendar year. In early September, the 61-year-old penned a lengthy statement confirming she would be moving on.
“After more than seven years at the WNBA and more than 40 total years in business, I have made the decision to retire as WNBA Commissioner,” Engelbert's statement began. “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.”
She added, "I retire with immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come.”
Source: “AOL Breaking”
