Jemele Hill Puts WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert On Blast For 'Weak' Leadership
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is rapidly running out of supporters and seemed to have lost even more with the stunning decision to cancel an interview with Dan Patrick.
On Friday's edition of his show, Patrick announced that Engelbert canceled what would have been a tough, but fair series of questions about the state of the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, expansion and other league-related questions. Patrick expressed frustration that the WNBA PR department allowed Engelbert to do the interview before abruptly saying she couldn't and stated that the WNBA will struggle to be taken seriously if they keep behaving in such a disordered way.
"If you want to be treated as a serious league, this is what happens! These are tough questions, but this is a fair outlet for you – a fair platform. I will treat you with respect," Patrick said.
Jemele Hill weighs in
Former ESPN host Jemele Hill applauded Patrick for his statement and agreed that Engelbert is doing a poor job of setting the tone for the league. She stated plainly that Engelbert doesn't seem to be "built for the moment" that the WNBA is enjoying right now.
"He's 100 percent right. When Cathy Engelbert used gender as cover when she was asked difficult questions, it came off as small. As commissioner, she's supposed to set the tone for the league. I don't think she's built for the moment the W is in. She should be out front on this and she isn't. Weak statements aren't going to cut it," Hill wrote.
Fans seemed to acknowledge that people who love the WNBA and people who hate the WNBA both seem to agree on one thing: Engelbert is wrong for the job.
"The one thing everyone agrees with, from the online trolls to the actual W fans to the opportunistic racists, is that Cathy's leadership is poor. That many people agree and it doesn't look too good," one user replied.
"Respect for saying it out loud. Feels like the players and media would take wnba to more exposure/influence but leadership/infrastructure isn't ready," wrote another.
"This is the best post you've made in a long time. Well done and thank you Jemele!"
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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 5:44 PM.