The WNBA is eyeing a new boss. Multiple outlets reported outgoing WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert submitted a list of candidates to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of her end-of-year retirement.
Sources indicate the search begins later this month, with the league open to a non-traditional pick while prioritizing stronger relationships with players, owners, and executives after Engelbert’s sometimes rocky rapport.
Engelbert told The AP that she’s been building a succession plan for years. She’s additionally prepared to stay on into early 2027 if the league fails to find a replacement.
ESPN named WNBA’s Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin, Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, and Valkyries President Jess Smith as potential commissioner candidates according to “people around the league.”
Three-time champion Swin Cash and Nike executive Tanya Hvizdak are also in the mix. They join WNBPA President and LA Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike — also set to retire after this season.
“I don’t close doors,” Ogwumike said when asked if she’d consider the job. “But I do appreciate vacation.”
Cathy Engelbert announced Friday that she will step down as WNBA commissioner at the end of December. She retires after a seven-year tenure as the league's first person to hold the title. Before taking the role in 2019, she led Deloitte as its first woman CEO.
Cathy Engelbert Leaves 7-Year WNBA Legacy
Under her watch, the league's business footprint exploded. Franchise values climbed from roughly $10 million to an estimated $460 million. Later, a hard-fought collective bargaining agreement introduced the WNBA's first million-dollar player salaries.
Engelbert also secured a blockbuster media rights deal and stretched WNBA expansion to 18 teams by the decade's end.
Still, her reign also brought friction.
Players and fans questioned her response to on-court safety issues. Debates over transgender athlete eligibility added further tension. Critics also argued the WNBA's viewership surge owed more to stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and A'ja Wilson than to front-office leadership.
And the league's historic CBA deal was only achieved after months of executive pushback to union demands.
What Happens After the WNBA Commissioner Retires?
"A great leader senses when it's time for someone else to come in," Engelbert said of her choice to step down.
As of now, no successor has been named. The league plans to begin its search with Engelbert's help after the season ends. Should NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fail to find a replacement before the 2027 season starts, Engelbert said she'll stay on to help.
Anti-trans athlete activist Enes Kanter Freedom took his dispute with the Chicago Sky to federal court on Thursday. The former NBA center filed a 15-page complaint in the Illinois US District Court, alleging his First Amendment rights were violated by the WNBA team.
He named the Sky, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (operators of Wintrust Arena), and the city of Chicago as defendants.
Chicago Sky Sued by Enes Kanter Freedom for Ejection, Ban
The lawsuit traces back to an August 23rd incident at Wintrust Arena during a Fever vs Sky game.
Kanter Freedom attended wearing a shirt that read "WOMAN noun. adult human female." With 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, a verbal clash with guard Natasha Cloud prompted security to escort him out.
Sky owner Michael Alter followed up two days later with an indefinite arena ban. He characterized Kanter Freedom as someone who "has the potential to be a threat," alleging he began to approach the court and players before officials got involved.
But Kanter Freedom is arguing that both the removal and ban were unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech. The filing further alleges the three defendants coordinated to enforce the ban.
WNBA Trans Athlete Controversy Continues
The complaint is just the latest bit of controversy in an ongoing debate over trans athletes and WNBA eligibility rules.
Kanter Freedom has spoken out on the issue for months. He recently declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft in a publicity stunt meant to provoke supporters of trans inclusion in the league.
Neither the Sky nor the WNBA have publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Kate Martin is staying in the WNBA. The Chicago Sky signed the guard to a developmental contract Tuesday, picking her up just days after the LA Sparks cut her in late August.
Kate Martin's WNBA Journey So Far
The move marks the fourth franchise for Martin since Las Vegas selected her 18th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
She spent time with the Aces, then went to Golden State in the 2025 expansion draft before the Valkyries released her in early May.
The LA Sparks gave her a developmental spot three days later and eventually bumped her to a standard deal, but her role never grew. Martin logged 17 games in Los Angeles and averaged 2.3 points.
What Martin Could Do for the Chicago Sky
With this new contract, the Sky gain a proven connector heading into the final stretch. She could suit up as soon as September 17th, when the schedule picks back up after the FIBA World Cup break. Chicago will be hosting the Washington Mystics in their regular season return.
Martin's résumé traces back to five seasons at Iowa, where she totaled 473 assists, good for fifth on the program's all-time list. That kind of distribution and court sense gives the Sky another needed option off the bench before the season ends.
Chicago’s rough spell just got rougher. Marquee 2026 signing Skylar Diggins landed on the season-ending injury list after re-aggravating a right knee issue.
Diggins hasn’t played for the Sky since July. She initially aired her frustrations on social media before clarifying her benching was tied to injury, not friction with the team.
The 36-year-old said she has not requested a trade. She expects to be back with Chicago next season, fulfilling the backend of her two-year, $1.8 million deal.
Already eliminated from playoff contention. No. 10 Chicago now turns toward an offseason full of personnel questions after another losing campaign.
Kate Martin's time with the LA Sparks is over. The WNBA franchise waived the former Iowa guard on Saturday, less than two months after promoting her from the developmental roster in a first-of-its-kind move.
LA Sparks Make Surprising Late-Season WNBA Roster Move
Kate Martin became the first player in Sparks history to earn a standard contract upgrade from the development pool on July 6th. But her playing time shrank through the summer despite that milestone.
In 17 games, she averaged 2.3 points with a season-high 11 points against the Toronto Tempo on May 17th.
Kate Martin's WNBA Career Put on Hold Ahead of Unrivaled Season
This marks the second time this year that Kate Martin has been cut from a WNBA team. Golden State released her just before the regular season after selecting her in the expansion draft, a move she later called "brutal." Before that, the Las Vegas Aces drafted her 18th overall in 2024.
Still, the 26-year-old guard already has her next chapter lined up. Martin re-signed with Unrivaled, the offseason league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. A strong showing there could open another door for her ahead of the 2027 WNBA season.
The Dallas Wings tightened their grip on a playoff spot with a 97-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday night, pulling into a three-way tie for sixth in the WNBA standings. It was the final Sun vs Wings matchup before the FIBA World Cup break, and Dallas controlled the game from start to finish.
Jessica Shepard's Franchise Record Performance
Jessica Shepard led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her franchise-record 22nd double-double of the season. She's now ranks second behind Angel Reese leaguewide, after the Atlanta Dream star set a new single-season WNBA record with 29 double-doubles.
Arike Ogunbowale added 18 points, while Paige Bueckers chipped in 15 points and six assists. Maddy Siegrist scored 11, rounding out a balanced scoring effort with four players in double figures.
How the Sun vs Wings Result Impacts the WNBA Standings
Connecticut's Aaliyah Edwards matched a career high with 26 points, including 21 in the first half. Still, the Sun (10-30) couldn't keep pace after halftime. They shot just 4-of-17 from the field in the third quarter and were outscored 23-12 in the period.
With the win, the Wings improved to 24-16. Dallas now sits in a three-way tie for sixth in the WNBA standings alongside the New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics. They're also just two games behind the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream.
Angel Reese now owns the WNBA record for most double-doubles in a single season. The Atlanta Dream forward finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday's 89-81 win over the Minnesota Lynx, logging her 29th double-double of the year. That surpasses Alyssa Thomas's previous mark of 28, set with the Connecticut Sun in 2023.
Beyond Reese, the Dream vs. Lynx matchup sported a balanced offensive effort across Atlanta's roster.
Atlanta Offense Decides Dream vs Lynx Clash
Allisha Gray led her side with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Jordin Canada contributed 16 points and 10 assists. Rhyne Howard then closed strong, scoring 12 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter. DeWanna Bonner also made her Dream debut, adding seven points in 17 minutes.
Minnesota countered with 21 points from Olivia Miles and 17 apiece from Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride. But it wasn't enough. The loss snapped an eight-game road winning streak for the first-place Lynx.
Angel Reese's WNBA Record-Earning Season
The WNBA record caps a dominant run for Reese, who set the single-game rebounding mark with 26 boards against the Sparks on August 24th. She now leads the league in rebounds for a third consecutive season.
With the win, Atlanta enters the 2026 FIBA World Cup break at 26-14 with a playoff spot already secured.
The LA Sparks cruised past the Seattle Storm 90-74 on Saturday, controlling every quarter at Climate Pledge Arena. Nneka Ogwumike delivered a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead the charge, with the Sparks vs Storm gap widening each time Seattle tried to answer.
First-Half Spike Puts Sparks vs Storm Away
Rae Burrell fueled the early surge, finishing the game with 22 points. Meanwhile, Dearica Hamby's layup capped an 11-0 run that ballooned the lead to 19 points before halftime. The Seattle Storm shot just 32% from the field in the opening half, digging a hole too deep to escape.
Flau'jae Johnson tried to spark a fourth-quarter rally, pouring in 11 of her 19 points in the final frame. Dominique Malonga added 17 points and 15 rebounds in the effort. Still, Seattle's 4-of-22 clip from three kept any comeback out of reach.
When Do the LA Sparks and Seattle Storm Play Next?
The win marks LA's third in four games, moving the Sparks to 15-25. On the other end, the Storm fell to 8-32.
The LA Sparks return to action September 17th against the Dallas Wings after the FIBA World Cup break. Seattle will also play their first game back on the 17th, against the Las Vegas Aces.
The WNBA finals is getting a makeover, with the league officially refreshing its championship logo as the 2026 regular season nears its close.
The new design features the WNBA logowoman and championship trophy, as the hardware makes its first appearance since 2006. It’s accompanied by custom lettering emphasizing speed and intensity.
The announcement comes 30 years after the Houston Comets won the inaugural WNBA title. The league timed the drop to “honor that magical beginning while also boldly looking ahead to a limitless future.”
The WNBA has only altered its logo three times in league history, with the current look dating back to 2020.
The 2026 regular season is set to wrap on September 24th, before the postseason’s best-of-three first round tips off on September 27th.