Cathy Engelbert has been in the WNBA hot seat in recent times. Unfortunately, all of the attention she is currently getting is not good. With the CBA talks turning out to be a dead rubber until now, the lack of accountability from Engelbert had made the athletes lash out at her.
For example, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier’s rift with Engelbert has deepened over revenue sharing clash. Now then, as tensions around the WNBA commissioner have escalated, calls for her resignation have been doing the rounds for a long time now.
And while the unrest is growing with each passing day, it looks like Engelbert’s future as the WNBA commissioner is in some serious jeopardy. Surprisingly, as her probable replacement, high-profile names like Swin Cash and Michelle Obama have been teased.
Who Will Replace Cathy Engelbert If She Resigns Today?
Now then, every now and then, Engelbert is getting the verbal stick from the players. While Collier publicly lashed out at her, A’Ja Wilson recently sent her relationship building advice.
Unfortunately, with the tide going against Engelbert, it looks like it’s time to consider a change in the WNBA power dynamics. And according to a recent report from the ‘Sports Business Journal,’ a couple of high-end names are being speculated. Firstly, it is the NBA Front Office Insider, Amazon Prime Video, and Swin Cash who have been heavily rumored. While she served as the SVP of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, Cash has some significant experience in the hoops realm. Add to that her expertise in the broadcast and media industry. Despite being with Amazon for the time being, Cash previously also worked for ESPN and MSG.
Michelle Obama next WNBA commissioner??https://t.co/V8g8qDjd8I
— Debmallya Chakraborty (@DebmallyaC93340) November 17, 2025
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Next up is none other than the former First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama. Speaking of her hoop connections, Michelle’s brother, Craig, used to coach at Oregon State previously. Moreover, Barack Obama himself was an ardent basketball enthusiast. Additionally, Michelle Obama earned her law degree at Harvard, making her a suitable choice for the role.
Meanwhile, despite all the speculation, Engelbert is not ready to step down from her position as of now.
Cathy Engelbert Unwilling To Step Down Despite The Massive Backlash
Since Collier publicly called out Engelbert, things have blown out of proportion. With things looking utterly grim for Engelbert, rumors about the WNBA commissioner stepping down became more and more frequent.
However, as of now, Engelbert has stated that she does not believe in running away during hard times. Thus, reaffirming her commitment to the WNBA, the league commissioner has decided to stay.
““I’ve never been a quitter, never shied away from tough situations,” Engelbert said. “I think leadership, the cream always rises to the top and I’ve always been someone who believes in the fact that we have, if there’s things we need to fix, we’re going to fix ’em. If there’s things the players have a perspective on that they don’t like that we’re doing or I’m doing, we’ll fix”
Cathy Engelbert address reports regarding a potential resignation after the completion of a CBA deal. pic.twitter.com/frNothMu05
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) October 3, 2025
Thus, it is evident that things are not looking great for Engelbert. Now, fans will be eager to see what happens next.