TheWNBA is approaching a major change at the top after Cathy Engelbert announced she will leave the commissioner’s office at the end of 2026. With the league entering its next phase, the search for her replacement has already started reaching the players themselves.
That became clear when Sophie Cunningham revealed that Adam Silver had contacted her about the vacancy. Cunningham did not suggest she knows who will get the job, but her comments offer a glimpse into the kind of leadership Silver is seeking while the WNBA keeps growing.
Sophie Cunningham Gets A Direct Line To Adam Silver
Cunningham said she has spoken with Silver a couple of times and came away impressed by the NBA commissioner’s approach. Her remarks suggest the conversation was not simply a courtesy call, as Silver was also discussing the qualities he wants to see in the next person to run the WNBA.
“I have talked to Adam Silver a couple times, and I think he’s a great guy,” Cunningham said. “He was very knowledgeable and full of wisdom, and so getting to talk to him and hear his perspective of how he approaches the NBA is huge, who he’s kind of looking for. I think if you want to know the real answers, you go to him.”
That puts Cunningham in a useful position at an important moment for the league. She is an active player with a direct stake in the next commissioner’s relationship with the locker room, and Silver has now shown that player input is part of the conversation. Reuters also reported that Silver is expected to lead the search for Engelbert’s successor.
Sophie Cunningham Wants The WNBA To Keep Raising The Bar
Cunningham also made clear that growth alone should not be the finish line. The WNBA has expanded from 12 teams to 18 by 2030, while viewership, attendance, merchandise sales, corporate partnerships and franchise values have all reached new highs during Engelbert’s tenure.
“But I think he’s going to put someone in place who really wants to take our league to another level than it’s already at,” Cunningham added. “Our league is booming, so why would we not [want] someone who’s going to make it even more booming?”
That expectation comes at a crucial time. The next commissioner will inherit a league that has grown rapidly but will also have to manage the relationships between players, owners and the NBA as that growth continues.
Cunningham’s comments do not reveal Silver’s final choice. They do show that at least one current player has been brought into the conversation, and her message is straightforward: the next person in the chair should be ready to push an already booming league even further.
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