What is the WNBA commissioner's salary? Comparing Cathy Engelbert's yearly earnings against top league talent

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has been under fire as the relationship between her players and the league’s leadership continues to deteriorate. Things were already looking rough as the WNBPA and the league have failed to find common ground on a new CBA despite months of negotiations.

Things worsened after Napheesa Collier read a scathing statement during her exit interview, criticizing Engelbert and calling out her shortcomings, citing inconsistent officiating and other issues. Collier’s statement has seemingly united both former and current WNBA players against Engelbert.

Over the years, the WNBA players’ salaries have been widely discussed as women’s basketball has quickly gained a new audience. In light of the CBA negotiations and the controversy surrounding Cathy Engelbert, it's a good time to look at the commissioner’s WNBA salary.

While there are no official reports on what Cathy Engelbert earns as the WNBA’s commissioner, she likely makes less than NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who reportedly earns $10 million annually.

Before heading up the league, Engelbert had served as the CEO of Deloitte's Global Sports Business, where she reportedly earned $3 million annually.

Her earnings are likely still in that range, as she probably wouldn’t have accepted a pay cut to move to the WNBA. Let’s take a look at how this estimate holds up against the top players in the WNBA.

How much more does Cathy Engelbert make than the WNBA’s top talent?

The maximum salary a player could make in the WNBA’s 2025 season was $249,244. Two of the league’s best players, Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson, made $214,284 and $200,000, respectively. The player with the most pull in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, didn’t even reach six figures, making $78,066 during her sophomore season.

Meanwhile, the highest-paid coaches in the league, Becky Hammon and Nate Tibbetts, reportedly make over $1 million annually. Here are the league's top five earners in 2025:

Kelsey Mitchell - $269,244
Jewell Loyd - $249,032
Arike Ogunbowale - $249,032
Kahleah Copper - $248,134
Sabrina Ionescu - $222,060

Even if we were to combine the earnings of these five players (~ $1.2 million), it would still be less than what Engelbert likely makes. For a different view, she likely earns more than 11x the league's highest-paid player in 2025 (Kelsey Mitchell).

Despite discussing groundbreaking new TV deals and expanding the league to 15 teams over the last two seasons, Cathy Engelbert finds herself in a tough position, facing scrutiny from fans and players.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan