WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to Retire at Year's End

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced she will retire at the end of 2026. The announcement came during the FIBA World Cup, catching many by surprise, including U.S. star Breanna Stewart.

Stewart acknowledged the challenges Engelbert's tenure faced but also credited her with securing a significant collective bargaining agreement. "I would just continue to kind of express gratitude towards Cathy," Stewart said. "I know it wasn’t all sparkly and great and good and all of that. But in the end, she was also one that helped create a historic CBA deal. Can’t forget to give her those flowers and we’ll see who’s going to come up next."

The WNBA has not yet announced a successor for Engelbert.

Meanwhile, Liberty guard Marine Johannes expressed lingering disappointment over France's loss to the United States in the FIBA World Cup gold medal game. France had reached the final for the first time in its history before falling to the Americans.

"Well, it’s not easy," Johannes said of the World Cup loss. "We just got back Tuesday here. We had something to do in Paris for the French Federation, so it’s hard. Like, your mind is still there. Like, you are thinking about the tournament."

Johannes was a key contributor for the French team, finishing second on the squad in points per game with 14.0 and rebounds with 3.3. Despite the final result, she expressed optimism about the team's future, describing it as a "good young group."