The WNBA has exploded in popularity since superstars such as Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark joined the league in the 2024 WNBA draft, as evidenced by its record numbers in television ratings and game attendance.
The popularity surge has led to an impressive new media rights deal, a new collective bargaining agreement that is seeing players earn the first multi-million dollar contracts in league history, and a plan to expand to 18 teams by 2030, up from 12 in 2024.
However, the league has been plagued with endless culture war discourse and non-basketball storylines. So much so, that The Ringer’s Bill Simmons thinks it’s time for it to part ways with commissioner Cathy Engelbert and bring in new leadership.
“Nobody needs a commissioner more than the WNBA right now,” Simmons said on his podcast. “The WNBA, which is for some reason turned into the Twitter For You page as a league, and meanwhile has all of these amazing stories going on. The league’s fucking deep. Olivia Miles keeping Minnesota straight the whole time. And now (Napheesa Collier’s) back. They’re even odds to win the title.
“A’ja’s the best player in the league still. She shut down Caitlin the other night. Indiana’s really fun to watch. New York, like, the league’s like, legitimately fun to watch, and yet all anyone talks about is dumb sh*t.
“Nobody needs a commissioner more than the WNBA right now.”@BillSimmons shares his frustration with the discourse around the league and explains why there needs to be a change in leadership. pic.twitter.com/67myX6RY97
— The Ringer (@ringer) August 10, 2026
“Anyone who participates in the sh*tty discourse about the league, like, I think that speaks more about them than the league. But what the league really needs is a commissioner. And I would personally bet anything that we will not have this commissioner next year. I’ve never seen a league more determined to not push fun stars and fun storylines and fun people. Like, this Olivia Miles, like, if this was the NBA, this would be all anyone talked about.
“Like, have you seen Olivia Miles? She’s on tonight. Oh my God. Oh, I saw the commercial. And in WNBA, it’s like, she’s like an annoyance that she’s just a good storyline. Like, push your f*cking players. And then instead it’s all this discourse stuff and they’re just stepping in bear traps left and right because they have no adults in charge of the league. Here’s how stupid they are. Their finals are gonna be on two different channels depending on the game. How stupid and desperate for money do you have to be to agree to that?
“It’s too bad though, because the league, they by far have the best collection of players that I, I think they’ve had. And I don’t know anybody who thinks they’re well run. So they have to fix this, and I hope they do.”
Engelbert’s contract only runs through 2026, and there are reports that the stakeholders in the league are unsure if she’s the correct person to steward the league’s future, so Simmons may not have to wait so long to get his wish.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.