Cathy Engelbert steps down as WNBA commissioner amid transgender dustup

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring at the end of the year, closing out a tenure that transformed the league financially while she navigated one of women’s sports’ most contentious debates.

Since Ms. Engelbert took over in 2019, WNBA franchise values have soared from an average of $10 million to about $460 million, fueled by a new media rights deal, expansion to 18 teams and a collective bargaining agreement this spring that brought the league its first million-dollar salaries.

Throughout her tenure, the WNBA has faced sustained scrutiny over the prospect of transgender athletes competing in the league. Ms. Engelbert addressed it directly this week.

“We have no current eligibility issues in the WNBA,” she said, adding that any future concerns would prompt “a thoughtful policy discussion” with the players’ union.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called her tenure “the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history” and thanked Ms. Engelbert for her “unwavering commitment.”

But growth brought strain. Players have reported rising social media vitriol and say the league hasn’t done enough to protect them. Relations with players also grew tense during this year’s CBA talks. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, a vice president with the players’ union, praised Ms. Engelbert’s legacy Friday but had said in July that players respected her without having much of a relationship with her.

Ms. Engelbert, who turns 62 in November, said the decision to leave was entirely her own.

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• WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire in December after transformative and tumultuous tenure