The WNBA has changed substantially since Cathy Engelbert -- who announced Friday she will retire at the end of this year -- took over in 2019. Her tenure included two collective bargaining agreements, an enormous increase in franchise valuations, expansion that will reach 18 teams by 2030 and a much greater global footprint. Engelbert gets a lot of credit for that, but she also received plenty of criticism in her seven years, especially regarding her relationships with players.

What legacy does Engelbert leave behind? What traits should the WNBA be looking for in its next commissioner? And what will that leader's priorities be in their first year? ESPN examines the WNBA commissioner's job: the person who is leaving it and what awaits the person who takes over.

Michael Voepel: I've covered the WNBA since Day 1 and have worked with every WNBA leader. Each brought her own skill set and led the league at different stages of growth. Engelbert, previously CEO at Deloitte, came from the financial world, and at her first news conference in 2019 she stated her goals as expanding the league, making it financially viable and improving the player experience. All of those things have happened. Whatever Engelbert's missteps, the league is in a far better place as she leaves it.

Kendra Andrews: Though Engelbert had many wins during her tenure, I think the past year marked with tension with her players will overshadow everything else. When Napheesa Collier sat at the podium during her exit interview in September 2025 and shared the most public criticism an athlete has voiced about a commissioner, and then had her peers back her up, that became Engelbert's legacy. Two things can be true: Engelbert drove a lot of success in the league, and she was not beloved by players. The latter is what she will be remembered for.