WNBA Begins Search for New Commissioner as Cathy Engelbert Plans Retirement
The WNBA is actively searching for a new commissioner, as current Commissioner Cathy Engelbert plans to retire at the end of the year. A specialized search firm has been engaged to vet potential candidates for her replacement.
Wichita Falls & Lawton, TX, October 17, 2026 —
The WNBA is searching for a new commissioner as Cathy Engelbert plans to retire at the end of the year. The league has engaged a specialized search firm to vet potential candidates for the role.
The search marks a transition in the league’s top leadership. Engelbert is the current commissioner, and her planned retirement is set for the end of the year. The summary provided does not specify which year that refers to or give a more precise departure date.
The search firm’s stated role is to vet potential candidates. Its name, the criteria it will use, and the size or composition of the candidate pool were not provided. The WNBA has not, in the information available, identified any candidates or announced when it expects to name a successor.
It is also unclear whether the league has set a deadline for completing the search or described how the transition will be managed. No reason for Engelbert’s planned retirement was provided. Those details remain unreported, so the available information does not establish whether the search is at an early or advanced stage.
For now, the confirmed details are limited: Engelbert plans to leave the position at the end of the year, and a specialized firm has been engaged to assess potential replacements. Further information about the candidates, process and timing was not included in the announcement summary.
Story summarized from the original created by DOUG FEINBERG, Associated Press on www.texomashomepage.com, see more information here.
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