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Cathy Engelbert's days as WNBA commissioner were already numbered before Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasted the league for having 'the worst leadership in the world' this week, according to a bombshell report by Sports Business Journal's Tom Friend.
Multiple sources told Friend that Engelbert is facing pressure to step down from inside the WNBA and its parent organization, the NBA. Those sources say her exit is not imminent, but do expect her to resign once the current collective-bargaining negotiations are completed and a new labor deal is in place.
Engelbert has not responded publicly, but a WNBA spokesperson told SBJ the sources' claims are 'categorically false.' Daily Mail has reached out to the NBA for comment.
As Friend's sources see it, Engelbert is smart enough for the demanding job but has struggled to build connections with teams and the union.
'She hasn't connected; she's not a relationship builder, which you have to be in that job with the teams, with the players,' a source familiar with the league told SBJ last month.
'I think she's a wicked smart businessperson, 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.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announces plans for a new franchise in Cleveland
'You're where you are now, you have got to get through this labor negotiation. After that, it wouldn't surprise me if she did a victory lap and rode off back into the corporate world somewhere.'
Engelbert's tenure is highlighted by the 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal she secured and an 180-percent year-over-year surge in average franchise value. Total revenue is reportedly projected to hit $1 billion this year, despite a season-ending knee injury to Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark.
Perhaps her biggest impact has been expansion, bringing the league from 12 to 30 teams by 2030.
But Engelbert has her detractors – namely, Collier, a five-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year who helped to launch the Unrivaled three-on-three league.
Speaking from a prepared statement for over four minutes, Collier sharply criticized Engelbert for being 'negligent' and also called out the league's officiating.
'We have the best league in the world,' Collier told reporters days after Minnesota fell to the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals. 'We have the best fans in the world. But we have the worst leadership in the world.'
'Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.'
All-Star forward Napheesa Collier thinks the WNBA has the 'worst leadership in the world'
In addition to blasting the league's officiating, Collier also revealed a private conversation between herself and Engelbert about Clark's five-figure salary.
'Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16million off the court, because without the platform that WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything,' Collier alleged Engelbert as saying.
'Players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them,' Engelbert added, according to Collier.
Despite her enormous impact on the league and women's basketball, Clark made just $78,066 this year from her WNBA salary.
The maximum salary, still, is just short of $250,000, which led Collier and Breanna Stewart to co-found the Unrivaled league, which promised players a minimum six-figure salary during a nine-week winter season upon its launch this year.
Indiana Fever guards Sophie Cunningham, left, and Caitlin Clark on the court recently
In a statement, Engelbert responded to Collier's remarks: 'I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game.
'I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.'
'Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage,' said Collier. 'Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.
'Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pre- and post-game media. And leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging them to fix. That is negligence.'
