There was some drama after the WNBA Draft on Monday night, as WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s sexist comment to a reporter made headlines across sports media. In response to a question about how much longer she will be the WNBA’s commissioner, Engelbert responded in kind: “I wonder if you’d ask that of a man“. The drama from this exchange overshadowed not only the draft (which does things that the NBA Draft should do), but also, the new collective bargaining agreement. The commissioner has a point with her answer, and the reporter was probably out of line with the question.
Why The WNBA Commissioner’s Response Was Spot On!
For starters, what was the journalist, Madeline Kenney of the New York Post, trying to gain by asking the commissioner how long she planned to stay in her role? There was no way Engelbert was going to say anything other than she expected to have her job long-term.
To ask such a question on the night of the draft is also asinine, since several other, more interesting questions could’ve been asked. This is a line of questioning that would be expected from a J-school dropout, not someone with many years of experience covering sports. It’s wild when Pat McAfee, of all people, asked better questions in a recent interview with Engelbert than someone who’s made a career of covering women’s sports.
What makes the questioning of Engelbert’s commitment to the WNBA even wilder is how difficult it is to be the league’s commissioner. It’s not hard to be the face of the NFL or NBA when both leagues are too big to fail, and the relationship between owners and players is at least amicable.
WNBA In The Spotlight
The WNBA, on the other hand, has been on life support financially for most of its existence and has only been commercially viable recently due to a partnership with the NBA and the impact of Caitlyn Clark on the bottom line. Being the WNBA commissioner is one of the most difficult jobs in sports, so it’s no wonder that Engelbert took offense at Kenney’s question.
Not only was the reporter’s line of questioning egregious, but it was also irresponsible. Anyone who’s covered women’s sports for any length of time knows how difficult it is to get that coverage in front of people.
In a time when the US is struggling mightily with youth sports participation (especially girls), the WNBA needs to succeed, so that young girls have hope and opportunity in basketball. For this to happen, Engelbert needs to get more wins, such as the new CBA and league partnerships, and journalists like Keller need to ask better questions in interviews and hold the right people in sports accountable.
Final Thoughts on Loaded, Inappropriate Questions
The drama surrounding the Engelbert-Kenney exchange showed that there is still rampant sexism in sports in 2026. Everyone involved in sports needs to be better, whether it’s a reporter asking interview questions or a fan commenting on their favorite team’s social media post. Sports are at their absolute best when there are no barriers, and everything is based on merit.
