WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed various topics at the pre-draft press conference, including the new CBA and league expansion, but sidestepped questions about her future. She emphasized the focus should be on the women in the league rather than herself.
An hour before the top prospects in women's college basketball were set to walk the stage at The Shed in New York, Engelbert gave her annual pre-draft press conference, where she spoke about offseason activities like the new CBA agreement, expansion teams and the league's growth.
However, a question about her future seemed to bother the commissioner, who ultimately sidestepped the inquiry before pondering if it would have been asked of a man. Engelbert eventually said there was "nothing else to report" and denied that there was any "story" about her future.
"I do crack up how everybody's focused on me, and you should be focused on the hundreds of amazing women and thousands of women who run this league outside of myself," Engelerbert said. "I appreciate that you're focused on me as well. I wonder if you would ask that of a man, by the way, but I realize as women we get asked different questions than men do."
The commissioner did answer other questions about the state of the league, the CBA and lessons learned from the process. Here are some of the key takeaways from Engelbert's press conference:
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Azzi Fudd who was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards.
Azzi Fudd (R) of UConn hugs WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the 1st pick in the first round by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
Azzi Fudd of UConn celebrates after being selected with the 1st pick in the first round by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Olivia Miles who was selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards.
Olivia Miles of TCU celebrates after being selected with the 2nd pick in the first round by the Minnesota Lynx.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Awa Fam Thiam who was selected third overall by the Seattle Storm.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Lauren Betts who was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (right) poses for photos with Gabriela Jaquez who was selected fifth overall by the Chicago Sky.
(L-R) Azzi Fudd of UConn and Cotie McMahon of Ole Miss pose prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
(L-R) Angela Dugalic of UCLA, Kiki Rice of UCLA, Gianna Kneepkens of UCLA, Lauren Betts of UCLA and Gabriela Jaquez of UCLA during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
(L-R) Awa Fam Thiam of Spain and Nell Angloma of France pose prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Raven Johnson of South Carolina, left, Madina Okot of Kenya, center, and TaΓNiya Latson of South Carolina pose prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
2026 WNBA Draft prospects pose for a group photo before the event at The Shed at Hudson Yards in NYC on April 13, 2026.
2026 WNBA Draft prospects pose for a group photo before the event at The Shed at Hudson Yards in NYC on April 13, 2026.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Azzi Fudd who was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Azzi Fudd who was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
Azzi Fudd (R) of UConn hugs WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the 1st pick in the first round by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
Azzi Fudd of UConn celebrates after being selected with the 1st pick in the first round by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Olivia Miles who was selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
Olivia Miles of TCU celebrates after being selected with the 2nd pick in the first round by the Minnesota Lynx.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Awa Fam Thiam who was selected third overall by the Seattle Storm.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) poses for photos with Lauren Betts who was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (right) poses for photos with Gabriela Jaquez who was selected fifth overall by the Chicago Sky.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
(L-R) Azzi Fudd of UConn and Cotie McMahon of Ole Miss pose prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
(L-R) Angela Dugalic of UCLA, Kiki Rice of UCLA, Gianna Kneepkens of UCLA, Lauren Betts of UCLA and Gabriela Jaquez of UCLA during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
(L-R) Awa Fam Thiam of Spain and Nell Angloma of France pose prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
Raven Johnson of South Carolina, left, Madina Okot of Kenya, center, and TaΓNiya Latson of South Carolina pose prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
2026 WNBA Draft prospects pose for a group photo before the event at The Shed at Hudson Yards in NYC on April 13, 2026.
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Scenes from the 2026 WNBA Draft
2026 WNBA Draft prospects pose for a group photo before the event at The Shed at Hudson Yards in NYC on April 13, 2026.
Engelbert admits housing was surprise sticking point during CBA
Housing became a key sticking point during the marathon CBA negotiations ahead of the 2026 season. However, Engelbert appeared surprised by a strong push from players to continue housing. The league has provided housing since the first CBA in 1999."I didn't know how important and emotional that was for them because I just assume β having two children in their 20s β that, you know, pay for their own housing, that once they were making these much increased salaries, that that wasn't something they would need or want, but they made it very clear, it was very important to them," Engelbert said.
Engelbert says league, players learned lessons in CBA bargaining
Engelbert says that when the next CBA rolls around in 2032, the league and players will likely approach things differently. The commissioner noted that the process could be reviewed ahead of negotiations to make things easier, and she wouldn't recommend marathon negotiations to get the deal over the line.However, she says that she's pleased with the outcome:
"The interesting thing is, we all wanted the same thing for the players. So we all had our list. They all matched," Engelbert said, "Ultimately, we wanted to kind of strike this great balance between significant increases in player salaries and benefits with the economic sustainability of the league because women's sports is very fragile and can be very fragile. We wanted to make sure we were setting the league up not just for the next six, seven years under the CBA, but for the next CBA."
What did Cathy Engelbert say about her future as WNBA commissioner?
Cathy Engelbert sidestepped questions about her future, stating there was 'nothing else to report' and denying any ongoing story regarding her position.
What topics did Cathy Engelbert discuss during the pre-draft press conference?
Engelbert discussed the new CBA agreement, expansion teams, and the overall growth of the WNBA during her annual pre-draft press conference.
How did Cathy Engelbert respond to questions about gender bias in media inquiries?
Engelbert noted that she found it interesting that she was being asked about her future, questioning whether such a question would be posed to a male commissioner.
What are the key takeaways from Engelbert's comments on the WNBA's growth?
Engelbert highlighted the importance of focusing on the achievements of women in the league and shared insights from the CBA process, emphasizing the league's positive trajectory.
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