Story perspectives

Engelbert Announces WNBA Retirement, Contract Cap Rises to $7M

9/7/2026

Summary

Engelbert Announces Retirement

Cathy Engelbert announced she will retire as WNBA commissioner on Dec. 31, 2026, ending her seven-year term.
She added three teams and plans three more by 2030, reaching 18 franchises.
Engelbert negotiated a CBA raising the salary cap to $7 million and creating $1 million contracts.
Players like Napheesa Collier called her leadership the worst.
A $75 million 2022 capital raise and $3.1 billion media rights deals grew franchise values to $460 million.

Summary

Wilson Out

A’ja Wilson was removed from Team USA’s roster because she is not fully healthy.
DeWanna Bonner bought out her Phoenix contract and joined the Atlanta Dream for a possible final season.
Kayla McBride, 34, logs a career-high 32.6 minutes per game and leads her team in scoring.
Sabrina Ionescu’s field-goal rate fell from 45.9% in July to 37.4% in August, with three-point shooting dropping similarly.

Summary

RAJ Sports Acquires

RAJ Sports bought the Portland Fire for $125 million in September 2024, valuing the franchise at $380 million.
The team averages about 14,500 fans per game, the fourth-highest attendance in the WNBA.
RAJ Sports and Nike co-hosted the second Epicenter Sports Week, a summit promoting women’s sports.
Enes Kanter Freedom filed a 15-page First Amendment complaint after being banned from a Chicago Sky game on August 23.

History

Historical Context

The WNBA was founded in 1996 as the NBA-backed women’s professional league, debuting with eight teams and an initial NBC TV contract. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert led a $75 million capital raise in 2022 and a $2.2 billion media-rights deal in 2024, significantly paving the way for expansion to 18 teams by 2030.

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Engelbert Announces Retirement

Cathy Engelbert announced she will retire as WNBA commissioner on Dec. 31, 2026, ending her seven-year term.
She added three teams and plans three more by 2030, reaching 18 franchises.
Engelbert negotiated a CBA raising the salary cap to $7 million and creating $1 million contracts.
Players like Napheesa Collier called her leadership the worst.
A $75 million 2022 capital raise and $3.1 billion media rights deals grew franchise values to $460 million.

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