WNBA: Uncertain future after Finals, CBA and refereeing crisis

Las Vegas Aces Conquer the WNBA and Unleash a Whirlwind of Questions

The WNBA season came to an end with a new champion: the Las Vegas Aces, who won their third title in four years. However, the final series and the entire postseason were marked by tension and high expectations. The league now faces one of its most challenging pre-seasons. The WNBA has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, with records in attendance, viewership, investment, and franchise valuation. The big question is how this success will translate into transformative and lasting change. The league, the players, and others involved are grappling with this question. Currently, the WNBA and the WNBPA are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, and there is a possibility of a strike. In addition, Cathy Engelbert’s future as commissioner is in doubt, after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier criticized the WNBA’s leadership, calling it “the worst in the world” in an exit interview. The league will also need to address concerns about officiating, which intensified during the postseason. Alofoke Deportes has analyzed the current situation of the league, consulting with team owners, executives, players, and other industry sources to understand the significance of recent events and the upcoming collective bargaining agreement deadline of October 31.

Have WNBA owners lost faith in Engelbert?

One of the most remembered images of the season was Engelbert being booed during the presentation of the Aces’ championship trophy in Phoenix. A small group of fans continued booing as she left the court. An executive from a team commented: “When you have that kind of confrontation with your best players, it’s a death spiral.” Tensions escalated during the season, with players and coaches expressing their frustration with the refereeing and the intensification of collective bargaining negotiations. The situation focused on Engelbert during the WNBA semifinals. On September 26, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected after protesting an uncalled foul on Collier, who was injured. Reeve publicly criticized the league’s officiating and was fined and suspended for one game. In her farewell interview, Collier denounced the WNBA’s leadership and revealed private conversations with Engelbert. Collier stated that Engelbert said Caitlin Clark “should be grateful. She makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t earn anything” and that “the players should be on their knees, thanking the lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.” A large number of WNBA players publicly supported Collier. Engelbert, in her speech before the first game of the Finals on October 3, stated that there were “many inaccuracies” in the comments attributed to her by Collier and denied having made the specific statement about Clark. However, Engelbert acknowledged: “If the players do not feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to improve, and I have to improve.” The commissioner’s main task is to represent the owners, not the players, in negotiations, such as those for the collective bargaining agreement. Several team owners expressed their dissatisfaction with Engelbert’s leadership. “If I had a vote,” said one owner, “I would probably ask for a replacement.” A major change in leadership seems unlikely while collective bargaining agreement negotiations continue. Engelbert stated at the Finals that “she has never been one to give up.” “If she’s fired now, it’s a sign of weakness. It’s a terrible image for the league,” said another owner. “I can’t stand what [Collier] did. That was a private conversation. I don’t feel like firing her, although I think she should be fired.” Frustration with Engelbert extends to several aspects: the lack of problem-solving such as arbitration, Engelbert’s business decisions (like raising $75 million in capital in 2022 which sold a 16% stake in the league), and the way he interacts and communicates with others.

I believe in Napheesa’s comments. I believe that sometimes the focus of [Engelbert]’s message hasn’t always been well conveyed. … Whenever there have been challenges, whether from the players or even the owners in questioning things, there may be some of that dismissive tone.

Team owner.

Engelbert’s role differs from that of most major sports leagues because she also reports to NBA commissioner Adam Silver. When asked about the situation with Collier, Silver said that Engelbert “has presided over six years of one of the greatest growths we’ve seen not only in the WNBA, but in any sports league in history. But it’s become too personal.”

“He’s done a lot for the league commercially; people forget how bad it was when he arrived,” said another industry person. “His time will end. I just think Adam is gutted by it.” The sources of the league agree that, if Engelbert wants to stay, he must rebuild relationships and establish trust with the players.

Change is essential. Either Cathy has to change the way she relates to the players, or there has to be a change in that role. It can be fixed, but some things have to change.

Team executive.

The collective bargaining negotiations offer Engelbert a last chance to save his job. The collective bargaining negotiations offer Engelbert a last chance to save his job.

“A strike doesn’t benefit anyone”: The state of collective bargaining negotiations

Disputes and conflict in the WNBA appear to be related to collective bargaining negotiations. The last collective agreement was reached in January 2020, when Engelbert had been in office for about seven months. At that time, one of the biggest stars in current sports, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, was a high school student in Iowa. Nobody knew the impact she would have on the finances and growth of the league. Now, almost six years later, the league and the players’ union must sign a new collective bargaining agreement for the 2026 season. The current agreement expires on October 31, but that deadline is not definitive; both parties agreed to a 60-day extension before the 2020 agreement, and this is expected to happen again. A WNBA source said: “[But] in the end, a strike doesn’t benefit anyone. I don’t know exactly how far apart the parties are. But, in general, when I see these things, usually, as the crucial moment approaches, everyone gets a little closer, and we can reach an agreement that is reasonable enough.” Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces said that the negotiations “are not where we thought and wanted them to be at this moment. It’s market share, it’s salaries, it’s player safety, it’s everything.” One of the biggest points of disagreement seems to be the distribution of income and whether the percentage of players will remain static during the duration of the next collective bargaining agreement or will grow during it. Brianna Turner of the Fever said that guaranteeing charter flights, which were introduced for all WNBA travel at the start of the 2024 season, is important in the new collective bargaining agreement, as is asking teams to continue paying for players’ housing during the season. Turner believes that it may also be necessary to increase the size of the rosters (currently set at 12 players) and points to the five injuries that ended the Fever’s season as an example. A league source said that WNBA owners who are affiliated with NBA teams and those who are not could have different priorities during collective bargaining negotiations. Another source said they expect the owners to be as unified in their negotiations as the players are. But the players feel they have heard those kinds of statements for too long. The collective bargaining negotiations offer Engelbert a last chance to save his job.