If WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is removed from her post, it won't be anytime in the immediate future, ESPN analyst Elle Duncan said on the November 18 episode of the "Dan Le Batard Show." As Duncan noted, the players are currently embroiled in CBA negotiations with the WNBA's leadership, which obviously includes Engelbert, and that makes conversations about her removal moot — for now.
"I do believe [Engelbert being replaced is] coming. I do not believe anything is going to happen until they can get this new CBA ratified, because that's ridiculous to have someone in high-level conversations, and then to bail right when we're actually reaching critical time in the space, I think is asinine," Duncan said.
She continued, "So I don't anticipate any change happening before then. But I do anticipate a change coming."
The WNBA and the players agreed to an extension of CBA negotiations at the end of October after failing to meet the initial deadline of the 30th. The parties now have until November 30 to sign a new agreement, but could also opt to extend that deadline again.
Cathy Engelbert's leadership has been called into question
Engelbert's role in the WNBA was a hot topic throughout the 2025 season, but the attention surrounding her intensified after Napheesa Collier blasted the league and Engelbert as part of a four-minute speech during her September exit interview with the Lynx.
"The real threat to the league isn't money, it isn't ratings, or even missed calls, or even physical play," Collier said, a reference to concerns about officiating that have been repeatedly raised throughout the regular and postseason. "It's the lack of accountability from the league's office."
Collier also said that she and Engelbert reportedly had a conversation in February 2025 about complaints about refereeing in the WNBA. Collier said she asked Engelbert what solutions she has, but was met with a rude dismissal: "only the losers complain about the refs."
The conversation between the pair also shifted toward the new group of players who joined the league as rookies in 2024 and 2025, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers. Engelbert reportedly told Collier that Clark specifically "should be grateful she made $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything" and that "players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that [Engelbert] got them."