WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert says she won't resign: 'I've never been a quitter'

Embattled WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert held her annual pre-Finals press conference Friday ahead of Game 1 between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, and made it clear that she won't be walking away from the job. "I've never been a quitter," Engelbert said. "... I'm not gonna shy away. I'm the commissioner of this league, the leader of this league."

Engelbert has come under significant fire this week, particularly from the players, who have criticized her leadership amid a contentious labor battle. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier issued a lengthy statement Tuesday during her exit interview in which she said, in part, "We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now we have the worst leadership in the world."

Lynx's Napheesa Collier blasts WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert: 'We have the worst leadership in the world'

Robby Kalland

Numerous players and coaches have backed Collier in recent days, including Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who said that Collier made "a lot of very valid points." A subsequent report from the Sports Business Journal stated that Engelbert was likely exit as commissioner after the CBA negotiations are complete, and there have been calls across the media landscape for Engelbert to be replaced. 

The WNBA issued a statement to the SBJ saying that their report was, "categorically false." On Friday, Engelbert categorized such ideas as "click bait." Here are Engelbert's full comments when asked directly if she still feels she's the right voice for the league and expects to remain commissioner beyond this current CBA:

"Obviously, I've never been a quitter. I'm entering my 40th year, actually, this month in business. Never been a quitter, never shied away from tough situations. I think in leadership the cream always rises to the top and I've always been someone who believes in the fact that if there's things we need to fix, we're gonna fix them. 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 them. 

"I've said emotion, passion, whatever you want to call it of what's going on right now, the league has grown enormously over the last five years. It's incredible what these players have done, day in, day out, and they deserve all the credit. But as I said, my staff and the staff of the teams and the owners of these teams have made tons of investments to get to where we are today. 

"So I'm not gonna shy away. I'm the commissioner of this league, the leader of this league. I think we've accomplished a lot, but we have a lot more hard work to do. There's so many more things we can do together and I hope that the players see that. I'm certainly looking forward to meeting with them in the offseason as we get to the next level with so many great things that are gonna happen in the offseason and into next season."

Engelbert is the WNBA's first commissioner -- prior to her arrival the league had a president -- and began her tenure in 2019. During her time in charge, she has overseen tremendous growth, both on and off the court. Franchise values are soaring, as are television ratings and ticket and merchandise sales. 

Notably, the league added its first expansion team since 2008 this season, and has announced plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030. In addition, a new $2.2 billion media rights deal will kick in next season. But for all of Engelbert's business accomplishments, there is clearly a disconnect between her and the players -- one that may ultimately cost her her job.