"She should not be at the Final": WNBA fans erupt as Cathy Engelbert likely to exit as WNBA commissioner amid chaos

2025 WNBA Draft - Source: Getty
2025 WNBA Draft - Source: Getty

Cathy Engelbert has found herself at the center of controversy after details of a conversation with Napheesa Collier were revealed, followed by her comments as a reaction to the situation.

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Now, reports suggest there's a real possibility that she could step down from her role as WNBA commissioner.

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As soon as the news broke, fans flooded social media with reactions. Many celebrated the idea of Engelbert leaving her position.

“Long overdue. She should not be at the Final,” @ParrotMC20 said.
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“Cathy Engelbert needs to be fired before CBA negotiations are completed. She can't negotiate for the WNBA in good faith at call,” @CaitlinForThree said.
“Dont threaten us with a good time,” @JMusiole wrote.
“Thank the lord. She was handed a gem and fumbled so hard,” @CThabjs wrote.
“Pack it up Cathy- don’t come to the finals ! Sincerely everyone!” @Chickenring763 said.
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“Get rid of her and put a serious person in there to negotiate the CBA,” @ls1228 wrote.

According to Sports Business Journal, sources had already hinted at Engelbert’s potential exit before the latter got caught in the middle of the Collier controversy.

“She hasn’t connected; she’s not a relationship builder, which you have to be in that job with the teams, with the players,” SBJ reported.
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“I think she’s a wicked smart business person, and the success she gets a lot of credit for. But a commissioner has to have a personality element that can touch every constituent that they have. I think she’s just lacking in it.”

Cathy Engelbert took on the role of commissioner in 2019 after serving as the CEO of Deloitte US starting in 2015. The same source now believes that she could return to the corporate world once she steps down from the league.

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Caitlin Clark catches unexpected stray from Cathy Engelbert

Caitlin Clark has transformed the league, drawing huge attention and driving revenue. Yet instead of recognizing her impact, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert seemed to downplay it.

Napheesa Collier shared that in her own conversation with Engelbert, the commissioner suggested that Clark owed gratitude to the league for her financial success.

“Her (Engelbert) response was, 'Caitlin (Clark) should be grateful to make $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything,’” Collier said.

Instead of addressing certain points that were made, Engelbert focused on saying that she was disappointed by Collier’s views of the league’s executive.

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Edited by Bhargav
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