While Friday night saw the biggest stars in the present WNBA receive a warm welcome from the Chicago crowd at Wintrust Arena for the All-Star weekend, commissioner Cathy Engelbert was not one of them.

Engelbert's negative reception coincides with ESPN’s Alexa Philippou revealing that multiple high-profile league sources have indicated Engelbert isn’t the person they’re looking at to lead the league once her contract expires.

Ahead of the All-Star weekend, Philippou revealed that after talking to over 20 stakeholders, they all indicated that “she’s [Engelbert] not the right person to navigate the demands the league currently faces and what its stakeholders now need.”

“Lots of boos once Cathy Engelbert was introduced at Wintrust Arena. (Video only got the tail end.),” Front Office Sports reporter Colin Salao captioned his post with a clip from the All-Star Weekend.

Engelbert's contract expires after this season, and according to Philippou's sources, the consensus is that this will be her final year as WNBA commissioner.

And for anyone who has been following the W for a certain period of time, this would not be shocking news.

Engelbert has been under constant scrutiny ever since Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier called her out over the delayed CBA negotiations.

That whole saga did a lot of damage to Engelbert and the league, and she has not been able to catch a break since then.

She has also been criticised over officiating, players’ safety, and her reactive approach to crises like the Alyssa Thomas-Caitlin Clark controversy.

With so much scrutiny from all sides, this has also led NBA commissioner Adam Silver to address Engelbert's future.

Adam Silver Noncommittal About Cathy Engelbert's Future

During a recent press conference at NBA Summer League, Silver said that he was "pleased" with how the WNBA is running as of now and the "tremendous progress" it has made under Engelbert.

However, he did not have any concrete comments on what the future holds for Engelbert and her position.

"I think Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league," he said, noting that he didn't want to speak for Engelbert. "We'll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like."

According to a WNBA team executive, Engelbert's Achilles' heel will be the lack of maintaining strong relationships within the league.

We already have examples of this, as Engelbert was not present during the Sparks-Liberty game commemorating the WNBA’s first-ever matchup and was also absent from the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony honoring some of the league’s biggest figures.

Meanwhile, Engelbert remains determined to continue leading toward further growth.

“It’s easy to lead in good times,” she told ESPN last week. “Where leaders really emerge in my experience … is when you’re your best in your darkest moments, and you don’t give up.”

Still, with so many missing aspects, it is safer to say that Engelbert is on the verge of leaving her position than signing a new contract with the WNBA.

So, do you think this year will be the last we see of Cathy Engelbert as commissioner? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy