WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert slams attempts to ‘sow divisiveness’ after Sophie Cunningham swipe
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Sophie Cunningham seem to be butting heads. (Geoff Stellfox/Rich von Biberstein/Getty)
The WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) commissioner Cathy Engelbert has denounced people trying to “sow divisiveness” over the league’s handling of the trans athlete debate. This comes after a new interview with Sophie Cunningham, in which the Indiana Fever guard questioned Engelbert’s position.
Commissioner Engelbert has faced a mounting wave of attention that began when Cunningham shared her perspective on trans athletes in July.
Engelbert’s latest comments were voiced on Thursday (20 August), before Indiana Fever lost 91-85 to the Dallas Wings.
“People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness,” Engelbert said, as reported by AP News, while sitting alongside Dallas Wings CEO Greg Bibb.
“We’re being the centre of political football for people who have never watched the WNBA, never have written about the WNBA or reported on the WNBA,” Engelbert said. Her comments reference NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who recently described the WNBA debate as “political football”.
This is her first time addressing the situation since the league called out “bad faith” efforts of two ex-NBA players who declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft. The draft isn’t until next April.
‘People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness’
Cunningham made a swipe at Engelbert in a USA Today profile published Wednesday (19 August). This is Engelbert’s seventh year as WNBA commissioner, but her contract expires after the 2026 season.
“You do have to have a person in power who is bold, who is confident, who wants the best for the players and not maybe for themselves all the time,” Cunningham said of the commissioner position.
“So I do feel like, as a whole, that could be a position that’s maybe open at the end of the year, but that’s not my call.”
Cunningham noted Engelbert has done “a lot of good things” during her tenure. Though, she emphasises that the league needs a commissioner to support players trying to be “trailblazers of what women’s leagues can look like.”
Cunningham has taken issue with the potential of trans women playing in the league. Currently, there are no out trans players in the league.
The WNBA’s policy states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA”. The rule has no explicit language referencing gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
The league has a prominent LGBTQ+ fanbase and has historically been associated with strong player activism on social issues.
However, the WNBA has been engulfed by this topic. Demonstrators have been attending games since Cunningham told ESPN that banning trans women from women’s sport was “common sense.”
Things have continued to escalate, with the WNBA even censoring fans’ trans shirts. However, the league has since said this “should not have happened.”
Cunningham’s statements also prompted responses from high-profile figures. JD Vance voiced his support for Cunningham and Caitlyn Jenner also weighed in on the controversy. When asked about the topic, Jenner criticised commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
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