WNBA Boss Cathy Engelbert Admits Unexpected Work Situation

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As the WNBA continues to grow in popularity, it also means more fans are coming to the league, watching the games and becoming obsessed with their favorite players and teams. Unfortunately for league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, that also means more messages.

Engelbert admitted as much in a recent interview with WSJ Magazine, sharing that she’s now getting thousands of emails from fans each week. For what it’s worth, the league executive said that messages from fans didn’t even reach three digits per week in the previous four years.

“In my four years as commissioner prior to this, I got 40 emails, probably, from fans,” said Engelbert, who was named WNBA Commissioner in 2019. “I get 4,000 a week now.”

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media before game one of the 2023 WNBA Finals.

© Candice Ward-Imagn Images

As the WSJ Magazine report noted, the WNBA has increased its average attendance by nearly 50 percent year-over-year in 2024. Viewership on ESPN networks also improved by 170 percent. With that said, it’s not really a surprise that there are a lot more passionate fans now.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and several players from the 2024 rookie class were huge catalysts in the WNBA’s exponential growth.

Unfortunately for Cathy Engelbert, as the WNBA aims to grow its brand even more, it’s likely that her email will be exploding with more messages.