Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham weighed in on the WNBA commissioner search following Cathy Engelbert’s upcoming retirement, calling for a player-driven leader while joking on her podcast about wanting the job herself to fix practice facilities across the league.
The WNBA faces a leadership search barely a week old following Cathy Engelbert’s Sept. 4 announcement that she will step down as commissioner on Dec. 31. Engelbert leaves behind a complicated legacy after taking the job in 2019, having overseen an unprecedented period of success, including franchise expansion, a new collective bargaining agreement that increased player pay, explosive attendance growth with Caitlin Clark’s arrival, and helping the league expand to 18 teams, up six, by 2030. Nonetheless, her tenure was also marked by constant friction with players, alongside opportunities to weigh in on important topics sooner—such as the recent announcement by former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White that they would declare for the WNBA draft challenging the transgender debate sparked by Cunningham’s comments that began in an ESPN profile.
Sophie Cunningham’s Commissioner Wishlist and Podcast Jokes
Speaking to reporters after practice on Monday, Cunningham addressed what qualities the incoming executive needs to manage a rapidly expanding professional sports organization. Cunningham urged bringing in someone capable of bridging gaps in a quickly expanding league.
“The WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe and comfortable,” Cunningham told reporters. “I think there’s all types of walks in this league, which I think is absolutely awesome, but I think you need someone who is going to unite everybody.”
At the same time, Indiana wing Sophie Cunningham has rebranded her podcast: “No Hesitation” with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen. The goal of the rebrand is to talk more basketball, and that included a discussion on the retirement of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the end of the year, during which Cunningham joked on her podcast that she should be the next WNBA commissioner.
“The more I think about it, I think I should be commissioner,” Cunningham said with a laugh. “I think I could get this (expletive) on the right track.”
When turning from jokes to practical demands, Cunningham clarified that she doesn’t want to be commissioner now — but didn’t close the door on it in the future — acknowledged how difficult the position is, and stated that as commissioner, she would prioritize functional practice facilities for all teams, noting that the first thing she’d do is make sure every team has a functional practice facility.
“The first thing I would do is make sure every team has a functional practice facility,” Cunningham said. “There are teams in the WNBA — we’re the best league in the entire world — there are people practicing at, like, YMCAs… The tides are turning, but I will say, there are a lot of owners who are still being very cheap and not giving us professional athletes what we need.”
Cunningham added that the tides are turning, pointing to the Fever’s coming practice facility, but emphasized that there are a lot of owners who are very cheap and not giving professional athletes what they need.
Player Communication and Fan Backlash Over Public Comments
Beyond facilities, Cunningham emphasized that she believes the next commissioner needs to have better communication with players to help grow the league.
“Definitely has to be someone with great communication with the players, because at the end of the day we should be joining forces,” she said. “We should be working together to grow this league to the best of its ability. The sky’s the limit when we work together.”
Cunningham further detailed what characteristics the new commissioner should have, noting that someone with great character is needed to withstand it all and uphold values and what’s best for the players.
“You need to have great character that is willing to withstand it all and uphold your values and what’s best for the players,” Cunningham said. “It’s definitely someone who is in great communication with the players, because at the end of the day, we should be joining forces; we should be growing this league to the best of our abilities.”
Reflecting on past leadership dynamics, Cunningham noted that under previous people leading the WNBA, people would be in the same room with each other and not even say hi when there were only five people in the room, asking if that is not weird or awkward before adding, Be friendly. Be a human.
Drew Hanlen noted NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s communication with star players and willingness to try new things such as the in-season tournament, despite skepticism for the concept. Cunningham noted she is thankful of where the league is as a league, but added that there are still people in the league who have been there from the get-go and maybe some of them can evolve and see where this is going, stating that you have to have the balls to say thank you, but it is time to go in a different direction, requiring someone with that forward thinking.
Cunningham has also been vocal about Engelbert long before the retirement announcement. Speaking to USA Today in August, the Fever star outlined the exact executive profile she wanted to see in the league’s next leader, stating that a person in power must be bold, confident, and want the best for the players rather than themselves all the time. During an episode of her podcast in late June, the former Phoenix Mercury guard criticized the league for failing to market its talent, calling it a joke and stating that Cathy and the WNBA get lit up on social media because they leave out generational and the best players to ever go to the WNBA on rosters like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston, while questioning why random players are put on them instead of players like herself.
However, for a vocal segment of the WNBA fan base, Cunningham’s call for a safe and comfortable league was perceived as hypocritical, given her outspoken nature off the court. Social media users posted harsh criticisms targeting her roster status and past commentary:
“Why should they care about her opinion on the matter, that talentless hack will be out of the league next year anyway. She was a waste of a roster spot even before she started fueling the maga (expletive) that’s become a distraction to the league,” one X user remarked.
“Why do you people ask her these kind of questions. All she does is stir the pot and then hides,” a fan posted.
“Whewww I definitely didn’t miss her during the fiba break 😭😭😭 my God stop asking her these [expletive] questions,” a user exclaimed.
“So someone not like you?” another fan bluntly wrote.
Indiana Fever Playoff Push and Caitlin Clark’s Evolution
Amid front-office discussions, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham dropped a new podcast on Thursday discussing star teammate Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s next commissioner, and more. Cunningham’s Fever has had a tremendous season that has them looking like contenders as the postseason nears. Caitlin Clark is the lifeblood of the offense, and Cunningham said her game has evolved, specifically when it comes to getting in the paint and utilizing her body control.
“I really do feel like this year she is using her body so so well,” Cunningham said. “And she’s using the glass, her jump shots are going in, and it’s efficient, and it’s good for us. But I do think that her body control this year has been huge.”
The Indiana Fever are currently sitting in fifth place in the WNBA standings at 26-14 and have secured a playoff spot. They will begin what they hope to be a deep postseason run in the coming weeks.
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