NEW YORK — The boos were deafening.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was at center court inside Barclays Center. The New York Liberty had just beaten the Las Vegas Aces in the in-season tournament named after her job **** le, and as she took the mic to congratulate the team and announce the MVP, her voice was drowned out almost entirely.
It wasn’t the first time Engelbert was greeted with this level of public disdain. Over the last 12 months, the reception Engelbert has received has grown increasingly hostile, dating back to last year’s All-Star game in Indianapolis, when fans chanted “pay them” as she attempted to deliver her post-game speech. She was heckled again during the 2025 WNBA Finals trophy ceremony.
Since becoming commissioner in 2019, Engelbert has led the WNBA into its most successful era. She brokered two transformational collective bargaining agreements, guided the league through an unprecedented pandemic season in 2020, and helped facilitate the sale of the Atlanta Dream from an owner, Kelly Loeffler, who opposed the league’s public support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The growth of the league has been astronomical — a new media rights deal valued at $2.2 billion at the time has grown to $3 billion, according to reports. The league has expanded to 15 teams and will reach 18 by 2030, with expansion fees that have lined the pockets of the existing owners. Record-breaking viewership and attendance have led to historic revenue targets.
#engelbert #league #york #commissioner
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was at center court inside Barclays Center. The New York Liberty had just beaten the Las Vegas Aces in the in-season tournament named after her job **** le, and as she took the mic to congratulate the team and announce the MVP, her voice was drowned out almost entirely.
It wasn’t the first time Engelbert was greeted with this level of public disdain. Over the last 12 months, the reception Engelbert has received has grown increasingly hostile, dating back to last year’s All-Star game in Indianapolis, when fans chanted “pay them” as she attempted to deliver her post-game speech. She was heckled again during the 2025 WNBA Finals trophy ceremony.
Since becoming commissioner in 2019, Engelbert has led the WNBA into its most successful era. She brokered two transformational collective bargaining agreements, guided the league through an unprecedented pandemic season in 2020, and helped facilitate the sale of the Atlanta Dream from an owner, Kelly Loeffler, who opposed the league’s public support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The growth of the league has been astronomical — a new media rights deal valued at $2.2 billion at the time has grown to $3 billion, according to reports. The league has expanded to 15 teams and will reach 18 by 2030, with expansion fees that have lined the pockets of the existing owners. Record-breaking viewership and attendance have led to historic revenue targets.
#engelbert #league #york #commissioner
3 months ago
