NBA Hires Excel Search & Advisory to Find Next WNBA Commissioner

NBA Retains Excel Search to Find Next WNBA Commissioner

The NBA has retained Excel Search & Advisory to lead the search for the next WNBA commissioner, jumpstarting a transition process ahead of Cathy Engelbert’s planned retirement at the end of December, Hunt Scanlon Media reported. The selection follows an evaluation of roughly a dozen executive search firms by the league. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is expected to help choose the successor, with a final decision anticipated by late December.

Rapid Growth Drives Leadership Transition

The search comes as the WNBA experiences surges in television viewership, digital engagement, attendance, merchandise sales, corporate partnerships, and franchise valuations. Engelbert announced in September that she will step down after seven years at the helm. During her tenure, the league initiated an expansion plan designed to increase the number of teams from 12 to 18 by 2030. Engelbert stated that her successor must sustain this commercial momentum while supporting rapidly expanding franchises.

Excel Search Takes On Executive Recruitment

Excel Search & Advisory operates as the executive search and leadership consulting practice of Excel Sports Management, following its acquisition of Nolan Partners in February 2022 and subsequent rebrand. Chad Biagini leads all global business, while Paul Nolan acts as executive chair. The firm has a history of sports industry placements, having previously assisted professional basketball teams with C-suite searches alongside other sports organizations.

Stakeholder Input Shapes Candidate Considerations

Both the WNBA and the NBA Board of Governors will provide input on the hire, as the NBA and its teams own roughly 80% of the league with three upcoming expansion teams arriving by 2030. Silver noted at a mid-September Board of Governors press conference that the league had already received direct inquiries and outside recommendations from potential candidates, which were forwarded to human resources and subsequently to Excel. Stakeholders have raised questions regarding whether the league will select an internal candidate from current WNBA team leadership or look to external candidates from sports, corporate, and political backgrounds.