Cathy Engelbert faces WNBA players’ trust test at All-Star Weekend
WNBA stars used All-Star Weekend in Chicago to call for better communication from commissioner Cathy Engelbert amid a run of disputes.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
4 min read
Cathy Engelbert WNBA players relations moved to the center of All-Star Weekend in Chicago, where several stars told CBS Sports the league’s leadership needs stronger communication after a bruising stretch of public disputes.
The weekend also showed how far the league has come under Engelbert. CBS Sports reported that she became the WNBA’s first commissioner on July 17, 2019, after the league previously had presidents, and has overseen a period that includes rising franchise values, expansion interest involving fees upward of $250 million, and a collective bargaining agreement this spring that raised player salaries by almost 400%.
Elena Delle Donne, who returned from retirement to take part in the new WNBA Shooting Stars event, said the showcase felt far bigger than her first All-Star appearance in 2013. After her team won the inaugural event, she said the weekend had become a place where “everybody is getting celebrated the way they should.”
Why are WNBA players frustrated with Cathy Engelbert?
Players described a trust and communication problem with Engelbert, according to CBS Sports’ Lindsay Gibbs, even as they acknowledged the league’s rapid growth. A’ja Wilson said Friday that leadership has to show players they are heard and treated as people, not just athletes.
“Show us that you hear us, that you're there for us, and then we go from there,” Wilson said, when asked about WNBA leadership. “When it comes from a leadership standpoint, I think I'm big on relationships. I'm big on bonds.”
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said players met with Engelbert on Tuesday night about urgent issues, including racist, hateful and abusive messages directed at players. Ogwumike also said it was not her place to decide whether Engelbert should remain commissioner, according to CBS Sports and Front Office Sports.
The latest tension follows last year’s All-Star Game, when players wore shirts reading “Pay Us What You Owe Us” during CBA negotiations. A CBA is the contract between the league and players’ union that sets rules for issues such as pay and working conditions.
The criticism sharpened during last year’s playoffs after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier was injured in the semifinals. CBS Sports reported that Collier called the WNBA’s leadership “the worst leadership in the world” in a prepared statement, later acknowledging that phrasing was hyperbolic, and said previous talks with Engelbert reflected what she viewed as a dismissive approach.
Engelbert responded at the time that she was “disheartened” by Collier’s characterization of their conversation and league leadership, CBS Sports reported.
What recent incidents added pressure?
At this year’s draft, held weeks after the new CBA was signed, Engelbert was asked how long she wanted to remain commissioner. She replied, “I wonder whether you would ask that of a man,” adding that women are asked different questions than men.
In June, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas accepted a one-game suspension for putting her fist on Caitlin Clark’s throat during a loose-ball scramble, but criticized Engelbert’s handling of the discipline and the abuse Thomas said followed online.
“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy,” Thomas said, according to CBS Sports. “It's no surprise. You can see what's being said on social media, and I mean it's unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent, and that's unfortunate when our lives are being threatened.”
Engelbert issued a statement condemning hate after Thomas’ comments, CBS Sports reported. League officials then fielded questions about the matter during the Commissioner’s Cup final, which the New York Liberty won over the Las Vegas Aces, and Engelbert was booed during the trophy presentation.
CBS Sports also pointed to Engelbert skipping a planned appearance with radio host Dan Patrick and public back-and-forths involving Sabrina Ionescu and Kayla McBride over whether they were invited to the 3-point contest.
Ogwumike said players want the league to act sooner in difficult moments. “We don't want to be reactive in these moments. We have to be proactive,” she said. Breanna Stewart added that open communication builds trust and follow-through, saying, “We're getting there. We're working on it.”
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.