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Fan poll shows early favourite to replace Cathy Engelbert as WNBA commissioner
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- Fan poll shows early favourite to replace Cathy Engelbert as WNBA commissioner
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All eyes are on Adam Silver to try and find a replacement for WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Cathy Engelbert is stepping down as WNBA commissioner, but she's not walking away just yet. She's taking a hands-on role in picking her replacement, handing NBA commissioner Adam Silver a shortlist of potential candidates from both inside and outside the sports world.
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She made it clear she isn't leaving the league high and dry, either, as if they can't find the right person to take the reins, she'll stay on to handle the transition.
However, there appears to be a slight early favourite with some fans.
Some WNBA fans want Nneka Ogwumike as next commissioner
A poll was conducted by a supporter on X, where they asked, 'Who would you like to see be the next WNBA commissioner?'
The available options were 'Taj McWilliams-Franklin', 'Nneka Ogwumike', 'Swin Cash' or 'other'.
At the time of writing, there have been 383 votes, with Ogwumike picking up 55% of those, while McWilliams-Franklin has 3%, Cash has 16% and other has 26%.
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Other notable mentions in the comments were WNBA legend Sue Bird and Lisa Leslie.
As of 2026, Nneka Ogwumike is wrapping up her 15th and final WNBA season. Beyond her playing career, she continues to serve as the President of the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA), and she has joined Project B as a player-owner for its debut global season.
So who knows, perhaps her retirement could open up the opportunity for a commissioner role.
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