Sophie Cunningham has had an eventful week, from launching a podcast to attending a NASCAR race to speaking with the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver. With Cathy Engelbert announcing her retirement as WNBA commissioner, the Indiana Fever star has set two very clear expectations for the new WNBA commissioner, and she has already spoken to Silver about it.
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When asked by The Athletic reporter James Boyd about the person who would be succeeding Engelbert and what their focus should be coming into the league at a crucial time, Cunningham had a very clear answer.
“I think that the WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe and comfortable,” Cunningham told James Boyd on September 14.
“I think there are all types of walks in this organization or in this league, which I think is absolutely awesome, but I do think with that, you need someone who’s going to unite everybody because it can be so different.”
Cunningham’s comments come after there has already been a host of criticism that Engelbert faced in her tenure for the apparent lack of relationship-building with players. 2025 saw Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier criticizing her leadership for issues such as player compensation and officiating in the league, among other things.
“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” said Collier.
Even in recent months, the WNBA has been deeply divided on a variety of issues, so Cunningham’s initial expectation that the new commissioner will be a unifying force comes as no surprise. Cunningham has one more ask, though, from the incoming commissioner.
“My second thing is I really do think that you need a commissioner that is players first, who wants a relationship with the players,” Cunningham said. “I think that’s so important. That doesn’t mean we’re always going to get along and we’re always going to agree; they have a job, they work for the owners, and so they’re going to have to make hard decisions. But if you have that open line of communication and that respect level, I think that it just feels different.”
This WNBA season has seen criticism of the leadership with regard to a lack of communication between players and the Commissioner’s desk. Cunningham said on her No Hesitation podcast that Engelbert would walk into rooms and go about her business without a word spoken to the players, the people who are the mainstay of the league. This is something Cunningham would like addressed.
Sophie Cunningham also revealed that she had a conversation with the current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Monday with regard to the selection process for the new WNBA Commissioner.
“I have talked to Adam Silver a couple times… Just getting to talk to him and hear his perspective of his approach to the NBA is huge…I think he’s going to put someone in place who really wants to take our league to another level than it’s already at. Our league is booming, so why would we not want someone who is going to try to make it even more booming?”
Cunningham has been quite vocal about the issues surrounding the WNBA in recent months. It’s safe to say that her demands of the new commissioner will find resonance among many players and other stakeholders. Cunningham and the Indiana Fever will take on the Toronto Tempo in their next matchup on September 18. So, making the most of the final days of her World Cup break, Cunningham enjoyed Sunday’s Cup Series NASCAR race just outside St. Louis.
Before her comments on the new WNBA Commissioner on Monday, she was rubbing shoulders with the likes of 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan and Indiana-raised NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon on September 13. Cunningham became the center of attention at the race, with her weekend trackside including a tour of the garage areas and pit road and booting a football from a live stage. She summarised her day with one line.
“I’ve had a heck of a day.”
As the FIBA break ends, Indiana is fifth in the standings and is locked in a battle with the Atlanta Dream for the fourth seed for the coveted home court advantage. As far as the new WNBA commissioner is concerned, only time will tell if they meet Sophie Cunningham’s expectations.