Once this WNBA season concludes, commissioner Cathy Engelbert will step down after seven years, with a search in progress to find her successor. That move arrives after plenty of complaints from players and fans that the league needed a different leader amid its growing popularity and success. Among those who have voiced concerns about Engelbert's leadership is Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, who never shies away from expressing her thoughts.
During an appearance on "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," she reacted to Cowherd suggesting the league "needs fresh leadership." "I hate to be critical because I know that job is so tough, but you need someone who has a backbone, who is bold, who is courageous, who is going to try to unify," she told Cowherd. "We want a commissioner who wants to engage in our players, like if we were in a room and she walked in, she wouldn't even say hi to us." More news: Sophie Cunningham Addresses the ‘Obvious’ About Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Impact "This is a players' league, so have a relationship with your players; be in communication. I think when she first came into the league, she was doing an okay job; she made some good business decisions for us, but once we exploded, I just don't think that she was ready for it," Cunningham said.
Cunningham reiterated that they want a commissioner who will fight for the players, have a relationship with them, and listen to the players so they can work together as the league continues to grow. During the recent launch of her podcast, "No Hesitation," alongside co-host Drew Hanlen, Cunningham spoke about the WNBA's commissioner search, joking that maybe she should take over the role. Hanlen asked what she would change if she were the commissioner.
She said that if she became commissioner, her first objective would be to ensure every WNBA team had a "functional practice facility," since not all teams currently do. However, communication with players about key issues and hot topics remained a big part of what Cunningham wants to see in the league's next leader. Cunningham said the next commissioner needs to be "bold" and "confident" with a "direct line of communication" to unite the WNBA players.
To her, that is what Engelbert was sorely missing in her focus on the job. "I think it would be really cool to be the commissioner. I don't want that job right now currently in my life.
I don't know if I ever will. There are people who are going to love you. There are people who are going to hate you.
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