Cathy Engelbert

Cathy Engelbert Is Clinching Big Wins for Women’s Basketball

Cathy Engelbert was the U.S. CEO of Deloitte, overseeing $20 billion in revenue and 100,000 employees when she became the first official WNBA Commissioner in 2019, leading a staff of 12 and a league that has never turned a profit. Engelbert is determined to change that. Since she joined, the WNBA’s revenue has doubled from $102 million to $200 million. And it notched a number of big wins in 2024, powered in part by superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese: It delivered its most-watched regular season and highest attendance in decades. Merchandise sales and social media engagement skyrocketed. The WNBA locked down several splashy new sponsorships with New Balance, Bumble, and Delta Airlines. Engelbert also helped the league snag an 11-year media rights deal valued at about $2.2 billion, with more to come, and she’s overseeing the league’s first expansion in years, with the Golden State Valkyries set to begin playing in 2025, and Toronto and Portland adding teams in 2026.

By Audrey Goodson Kingo