About this episode

The episode discusses the potential challenges facing WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the surprises in the All-Star starters announcement.

Is this the beginning of the end for Cathy Engelbert as Commissioner of the WNBA? Annie Costabile and Sabreena Merchant weigh in on her handling of the aftermath of the infamous Fever-Mercury game – why she seems to avoid the spotlight, what’s lacking in her communication skills and style, and what – or who – might come next. Also: All-Star Starters have been announced! The usual faces are in the mix – Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart – but some new players are in the mix, too. And when you dig deep on how the players were ranked by the fans, the media, and other players, some interesting surprises pop up. Plus: who might the W coaches pick for All-Star Reserves? And we tell you where to set your screen this weekend. References: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7416748/2026/07/02/wnba-all-star-game-starters-2026/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7410283/2026/06/30/alyssa-thomas-caitlin-clark-incident-wnba-death-threats/ __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Email us: NoOffseason@theathletic.com Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter! YT:  @No-Offseason  IG: @tanooffseason TikTok: @no_offseason Hosted on Acast. See…

People in this episode

Guests: Annie Costabile, Sabreena Merchant

Topics covered

• Cathy Engelbert
• WNBA
• All-Star Game
• player rankings
• communication skills
• surprises

Keywords

• Cathy Engelbert
• WNBA
• All-Star starters
• Caitlin Clark
• player rankings
• communication skills
• Annie Costabile
• Sabreena Merchant

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WNBA, The Athletic

Books & works: No Offseason

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