Rumors swirled fast after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier’s explosive exit interview. The five-time All-Star didn’t hold back, slamming WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert as part of the league’s “worst leadership in the world.”
Collier accused Engelbert of tone-deaf comments on player pay and officiating, including allegedly telling stars like Caitlin Clark to be “grateful” for off-court earnings. Social media lit up with speculation about Engelbert’s future, fueled by a report hinting at her exit post-CBA talks. But did Engelbert really step down?
Did Cathy Engelbert Really Resign As WNBA Commissioner?
Collier’s words hit like a buzzer-beater, coming days after a controversial no-call in Game 3 of the Lynx-Mercury semifinals that injured her ankle and sparked coach Cheryl Reeve’s ejection, followed by a one-game suspension. The backlash snowballed, with fines for Reeve ($15,000) and supporters like Becky Hammon and Stephanie White ($1,000 each).
No, Cathy Engelbert has not stepped down as WNBA commissioner. The rumor gained momentum when NBA Centel, a well-known parody account closely resembling NBA Central, one of the most credible sources for NBA and WNBA news, posted a parody tweet. In the post, NBA Centel mentioned news about Cathy stepping down from her position as the WNBA commissioner.
BREAKING: Cathy Engelbert has stepped down as WNBA commissioner, per league office. pic.twitter.com/RdCPIo2C7z
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) September 30, 2025
Which, in turn, was false news. Additionally, A Sports Business Journal report on September 30 suggested she would “likely exit” after CBA negotiations due to internal pressure and strained relationships with players and teams. But the day has not come yet.
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Sources portrayed her as a sharp business mind but lacking in rapport-building, crediting her for growth, such as a $2.2 billion media deal, yet questioning her fit amid rising tensions. The piece tied it to Collier’s critique, where the Lynx forward alleged Engelbert dismissed officiating woes with “losers complain about refs” and urged players to kneel in thanks for media rights.
The WNBA fired back hard. A spokesperson told SBJ the claims are “categorically false,” offering no further details. Engelbert, 60, and in her sixth year since leaving her role as Deloitte’s CEO, stayed silent on the rumors.
Stephen A. Smith Calls For Cathy Engelbert’s Resignation
While the league shuts down exit talk, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith isn’t mincing words. The ever-bold analyst wants Engelbert gone. On October 1’s ‘First Take’, Smith torched her response to Collier as “weak a**” and demanded resignation.
“Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the league… Let me say for the record: You should resign. You need to resign. Period. When a player, any player… attacks you publicly like that, that weak a** statement commissioner Engelbert gave is not good enough,” Smith said.
Stephen A. Smith calls on WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to resign following her response to Napheesa Collier's criticism.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 1, 2025
"When a player — any player — but especially one of that magnitude attacks you publicly like that, that weak ass statement that Commissioner Engelbert… pic.twitter.com/T8OJzC6Oqi
However, Smith zeroed in on Collier’s piercing claims that Engelbert supposedly told stars to be grateful for $16 million off-court deals without the WNBA’s platform, or to kneel for media rights. He also argued the lack of defense screams guilt, and tapped into players’ frustrations over pay (average $130,000) versus booming revenue.