Cathy Engelbert will forever be remembered as the commissioner during the most eventful period of the WNBA. But her future in the league is now facing serious questions. According to Chiney Ogwumike, the shift in the relationship between the commissioner and the league has triggered questions.

After Napheesa Collier's explosive exit interview last year, Engelbert's leadership took a heavy hit. Collier openly called out Engelbert on "accountability" and said that the league had the "worst leadership in the world." Since then, Engelbert has cut down her public presence.

"Over the past year or so…the dynamics have changed," Ogwumike said on NBA Today on Monday, July 27. "I would just put it into two ways. Publicly, there has been a lack of presence by the commissioner in probably the most important moments, which makes players feel like there's no leadership in the room that can really direct all key pieces."

Amid the growing issues that players have reported lately, Engelbert has been missing from the frontline. The Mercury's guard Alyssa Thomas slammed Engelbert for being "silent" after she allegedly received death threats, per AZCentral.

"Then, privately, there's been a deterioration of relationships," Ogwumike added on NBA Today. "So, it's a public and private issue, and we do acknowledge her success, but at the same time, we do acknowledge that in the biggest moments, there's been so much more to have been given, and it's been lacking."

Ogwumike, the ESPN commentator and a former player, added that previously the commissioner was just a text away, but lately she is getting "left on read."

Engelbert's position is already compromised among players. Now, her backing among team executives is fracturing as well.

WNBA executives raise serious questions about Cathy Engelbert's leadership

Adam Silver appointed Cathy Engelbert as the first WNBA Commissioner in 2019, a break from the "president" title. Engelbert's first major test came when she successfully navigated the 2020 COVID-19 bubble season.

Since then, she has pulled off a historic CBA, signed a $3.1 billion media deal, and headed the "hypergrowth" of the league.

But it seems like Engelbert is losing her trust among league executives. According to ESPN's July 24 report, executives have been flagging her absence and lack of interest in relationship-building.

"Here we are with all this stuff that's happened," a team executive told ESPN, "and it just, at different points, has felt like, 'Where are you?'"

Engelbert missed the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame induction in Knoxville, Tennessee, in June.

"I think Cathy's ultimate Achilles' heel will be just relationships, or lack of, with a lot of key stakeholders … In that role, you need to be able to build strong relationships and give and take, and I think she really struggled with that," an executive said.

ESPN reported that Engelbert has failed in building relationships with stakeholders and management. An executive said that Engelbert hadn't learned anything since last season.

What do you think about Cathy Engelbert’s future as WNBA Commissioner? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore