Engelbert Says WNBA Successor Search Is Underway

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league’s search for her successor is underway as she prepares to retire at the end of 2026, and reported that a centralized replay center remains on track for the 2027 season. Engelbert spoke with reporters before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on October 17. She said a search firm had begun contacting potential candidates and that she and others had submitted names. No successor has been announced. Her planned departure comes as the league expands and reports rising audiences, attendance and player compensation. Engelbert highlighted the Finals as an example of that growth: the Golden State Valkyries, in their second season, were hosting the Atlanta Dream in a series that would produce a first-time champion. The Valkyries’ franchise was valued at $1 billion this spring, according to valuations cited in the reporting. Engelbert said the WNBA drew more than 90 million unique viewers in the United States and accumulated more than 320 million hours watched during the first year of its new collective bargaining agreement. She also cited 51 telecasts with at least one million viewers, compared with 19 the previous season. League attendance...