For the second season in a row, the WNBA’s marquee All-Star Weekend has been totally overshadowed by conflict between the league’s front office and its players. It’s the 30th anniversary season, folks! This Chicago All-Star should’ve been a huge party, a chance for everyone to soak in the success and flash a big “told you so” to the league’s skeptics. Instead, the vibe is tense, with serious questions lingering over Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s future.
A Billion-Dollar Bet, But The Players Feel Burned
Look, you can’t deny the WNBA has exploded under Cathy Engelbert. She became the league’s first commissioner on July 17, 2019, and since then? This league went from a “budget-sheet afterthought” for NBA owners to a legit “billion-dollar behemoth.” We’re talking NBA owners fighting each other to pay upward of $250 million just to launch a new team! Just “this spring,” the league and union signed a landmark CBA that saw player salaries jump by almost 400%. Two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne, who played her first of seven All-Star Games back in 2013, even said after her team won the inaugural WNBA Shooting Stars competition, “This All-Star looks a little bit different than the first one. My first one, it was almost like just like pulling up for a scrimmage and leaving. Now it’s like a whole weekend, and everybody is getting celebrated the way they should.” The growth is undeniable.
The Commissioner’s Relationship With Her Players Is Getting Hard To Ignore
So, with all that success, what’s the hang-up? Last year, players wore “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts before the All-Star Game, signaling their frustration with Engelbert and WNBA owners in the lead-up to CBA negotiations. That was a contract year, a little discord is expected. But this year? The conflict is “much more self-inflicted.” The weeks leading up to All-Star have been “marred by missteps and miscommunications.” The biggest question floating around media day on Friday was whether Engelbert should even “remain at the helm.” Players met with Engelbert about “pressing issues” on Tuesday night. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, while expressing sympathy, made it clear it wasn’t for her to decide the commissioner’s fate. A’ja Wilson, however, laid it all out on Friday, asking for thoughts on leadership: “Show us that you hear us, that you’re there for us, and then we go from there.” Eleven words that cut right to the chase, huh? It’s clear Engelbert has “overlooked other important parts of her job, such as building relationships with the fans, the media and, most importantly, the players.”
Adam Silver himself says the NBA and WNBA are having “ongoing discussions” about Cathy Engelbert’s future as commissioner. The league’s 30th anniversary is a huge moment, but right now, the focus is squarely on whether the person in charge can truly connect with the players who are making it all happen.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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