Cathy Engelbert’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2026 season. This has called into question whether she’ll be brought back to run the league, as she’s been doing since 2019, or whether league officials will look to replace her.
The current discourse surrounding trans eligibility in women’s sports, and particularly the WNBA, has led to activists such as Riley Gaines to be 100% against the notion of re-upping Engelbert’s contract for the future.
Riley Gaines Does Not Want Cathy Engelbert Back as WNBA Commissioner
Political commentator Benny Johnson had Gaines on “The Benny Show” on Monday and asked her what changes she would make if she were appointed WNBA commissioner.
“My first of action if I were WNBA commissioner is I would get rid of the trans, they/them, non-binary new mascot in Toronto and I would make it a bald eagle.”
This is in reference to the Tempo unveiling its two new mascots: Dez, a non-binary Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle who uses she/they pronouns, and their partner-in-crime, an Arctic hare named Dot (she/her). It works as a play on the classic turtle-hare story.
Prior to this, however, Gaines spoke on how she wanted Commissioner Engelbert gone from the WNBA.
“Number one, of course she should be done. She should be long gone, but I think honestly, repercussions at this point should go back onto the NBA commissioner as well.”
“Because ultimately, at the end of the day, the WNBA subsidizes everything from the NBA. So, they’re not, not at fault here either. So, I think ultimately, we need to see some discussion from Adam Silver.”
Riley Gaines DEMANDS the WNBA Commissioner be FIRED or RESIGN in Disgrace. NBA Needs to Get Involved…
“Number one, of course she should be done. She should be long gone, but I think honestly, repercussions at this point should go back onto the NBA commissioner as well.”
“The… pic.twitter.com/YQvsM38JSG
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 24, 2026
Silver has not made a definitive, public statement on the matter since Sophie Cunningham went public with her stance against the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports last month.
Amid the polarizing debate surrounding the issue, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Engelbert criticized those politicizing the trans-athlete debate by claiming last week that they are trying to use the league “sow divisiveness.”
“We’re being the center of political football for people who have never watched the WNBA, never have written about the WNBA or reported on the WNBA.”
As for now, there is no official word on whether Engelbert will be back after 2026. When asked about her future with the league in July, she sidestepped the question.
