For 17 long months, fans feared the worst for the WNBA as stalled CBA talks fueled concerns over a lockout, missed games, and even players choosing alternatives like Unrivaled or Project B. Cathy Engelbert took the heat publicly as Adam Silver was “putting pressure” on everybody to get a deal done. Now, with the agreement finally in place, that pressure has shifted, pulling the NBA Commissioner into a conversation he’s long avoided.

During a recent appearance on the Flagrant and Funny podcast, Annie Costabile openly pointed to the commissioner as the one who should be held accountable for the league’s missteps.

“I think he bears the majority of the responsibility. You’re the leader, and you – through every step of this – have communicated that in various ways, right? Never outwardly, but it’s always been communicated in various ways that Adam, at the end of the day, is the voice of all voices.”

“I think what we struggled to do with the WNBA is hold two truths at the same time. David Stern deserves a lot of credit for making this league a reality. Adam Silver deserves a lot of credit for ensuring it continues. And again, carrying on David’s plans for this league. But the other reality is there have been missteps along the way, and that deserves scrutiny too, and I don’t know that there’s been enough of it rightfully put on Adam through this.”

That statement alone reframes the conversation.

Because while Cathy Engelbert remains the league’s public-facing commissioner, Costabile’s argument is simple: the real power sits with Silver. And if that’s the case, then so should the blame, especially as criticism around the league’s recent decisions continues to grow.

When the league began in 1997, it was built just to survive. The league felt more like a vanity project for NBA owners than a true business they believed in. With all teams initially owned by the NBA, the league still follows a unique ownership structure today, with 42% held by the NBA, 42% by team owners, and 16% by external investors. That setup has been a major reason why these CBA negotiations dragged on for so long.

In the recent negotiations, revenue sharing became one of the biggest sticking points. Reports suggest WNBA players could receive close to 20% of total revenue after expenses — a stark contrast to the NBA’s roughly 50% split and still well short of the union’s initial ask of 40%.

The league’s inability to meet the players’ demands traces back to a key mistake in the past, when it sold a 16% stake for just $75 million to stay afloat after COVID. At the time, it felt like a big win and a much-needed boost, but in hindsight, it looks like a costly decision given how rapidly the league’s value has grown since.

The Caitlin Clark effect, something we’ve all become familiar with by now, has taken the league to new heights.

• Clark’s regular-season games in 2024 averaged 1.2 million viewers, which was 199% higher than games that didn’t feature her.
• TV viewership soared by 300%, with Fever games accounting for a massive 45% of the league’s total broadcast value in 2024.
• Team valuations have skyrocketed by 180%, reaching an average of $269 million in 2025, according to a CNN report.
• The league broke its single-season attendance record in August 2025, surpassing the 2002 mark of 2.36 million fans with over two weeks still left in the season.

Earlier this year, in January, the league attempted to buy back that 16% stake, but there has been no update on those efforts since. Now, in 2026, that same stake is estimated to be worth around $600–640 million, which highlights just how costly that decision turned out to be, and why Adam Silver’s role in all of this deserves scrutiny.

However, Costabile’s sharpest critique was about presence.

The Invisible Leader Problem

For all the conversations around growth, investment, and player compensation, one of the biggest issues, as per the FOS reporter, is visibility at the very top.

While Adam Silver is widely understood to be the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to the WNBA’s biggest calls, that authority hasn’t always come with a consistent public presence. And in a league that’s rapidly evolving, that absence is starting to stand out more than ever. Take the recent CBA issue, for example. The WNBA has just navigated over 100 hours of negotiations to reach a CBA agreement that is expected to completely redefine player experience after a 17-month process. But Silver remained largely out of the spotlight throughout the process, even though the NBA controls roughly 42% of the WNBA.

While Engelbert leads the league publicly, the NBA, and by extension Silver, still holds significant influence behind the scenes.

“I think he does a really good job at keeping the separation, like visibly, or publicly, right? He’s the commissioner of the NBA. We don’t really see him in the WNBA. It’s not like he’s holding press conferences regarding WNBA news, or he’s not really at the major events throughout the year, the tent pole events, the All-Stars, the finals, all the time.”

“He’s kind of like this ghost figure who isn’t consistent enough. But everyone knows is the puppet master behind it all, right? And so, I think he gets to evade and escape that way.”

“And again, through this next era of the WNBA, it’s like either step into the light fully, Adam, and be that voice that everyone behind the scenes knows you are. Or be the man that everyone knows behind the scenes, you are, as in the person who’s the decision maker, etc., or hire somebody who you can fully allow to take this league to the next level. I think it’s got to be one or the other,” Costabile further added.

So if Adam Silver is truly the decision-maker behind the scenes, then the next step is simple: match that authority with visibility. Because if the influence ultimately traces back to Silver, the criticism will land exactly where many now believe it belongs.

Does the WNBA Need a Leader on Adam Silver’s Level?

For years, the WNBA has been viewed as an extension of the NBA. As a league supported, guided, and at times defined by its parent organization. While that may have been true in its early years, today’s reality looks very different.

From being labeled the fastest-growing brand in sports to pushing toward a future where million-dollar player salaries are becoming possible under the new CBA, the league has clearly outgrown the limitations of its past perception. But with that growth comes a bigger question: does its leadership structure still match its ambition?

“I think this league needs a leader that is going to work side by side with Adam. Not be a step below Adam,” Annie Costabile argued. “I know that’s a lot to ask because this league was founded by the NBA.Was brought to life by David Stern… But if that’s how you’re going to treat it, that’s all it’s ever going to be. You can’t expect this league to truly reach its full potential, to maximize its value, if the leader of the league is responding to the leader of another league.”

As long as the WNBA operates under the shadow of Silver, the concern isn’t just about visibility; it’s about autonomy. Can a league truly maximize its value if its top decision-maker ultimately answers to another? And that concern isn’t new, either.

Economists and analysts have long pointed out that the NBA historically viewed the WNBA as a complementary product. Something that filled arenas in the offseason rather than a standalone business to fully scale. But the current moment suggests that approach may no longer fit.

The WNBA isn’t just a partner league anymore. It’s a growing business with its own audience, its own stars, and its own trajectory. And if that’s the case, then the next step isn’t just better deals or bigger numbers. It’s a leadership structure that reflects that independence.