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Sophie Cunningham Says She Has Talked With Adam Silver as WNBA Searches for Next Commissioner
ReSophie Cunningham Says She Has Talked With Adam Silver as WNBA Searches for Next Commissioner
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham says she has spoken with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about the league's leadership search, emphasizing the need for a players-first commissioner as Cathy Engelbert prepares to retire.
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham said she has spoken several times with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is overseeing the search for the WNBA's next commissioner, and expressed confidence that the eventual choice will build on the league's current momentum.
«I have talked to Adam Silver a couple times, and I think he's a great guy who's very knowledgeable and full of wisdom,» Cunningham told reporters this week. «Just getting to talk to him and hear his perspective of his approach to the NBA is huge.»
Cunningham did not speculate about specific candidates for the position, but she said she believes Silver will select someone determined to elevate the league further. «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,» she said. «Our league is booming, so why would we not want someone who is going to try to make it even more booming?»
The comments come as the WNBA prepares for its first leadership change in seven years. Cathy Engelbert, who became the league's first commissioner in 2019, announced she will retire at the end of 2026 after more than four decades in business. Her tenure coincided with unprecedented growth in attendance, television audiences, sponsorship revenue and franchise valuations. She also oversaw an expansion plan that will grow the league from 12 to 18 teams by 2030, along with new media-rights and collective bargaining agreements. At the same time, Engelbert's relationship with players was occasionally strained.
Cunningham, who plays for the Connecticut Sun, said the next commissioner must prioritize players and foster open communication. «I think that the WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe and comfortable,» she said. «I think there's 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.»
She added that a players-first approach does not mean avoiding difficult decisions. «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,» she continued. «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.»
The WNBA's next commissioner will inherit a league in the midst of significant expansion and rising visibility. With Engelbert set to depart at the end of 2026, the search led by Silver will be closely watched by players, owners and fans alike. Cunningham's remarks underscore the importance players place on having a leader who can balance the league's business interests with a strong relationship with its athletes.
