💰 MONEY MOVES

 CATHY ENGELBERT MEETS THE PRESS

As we prepare for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, the main storyline remains the ongoing tensions between WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the players, specifically Napheesa Collier. On Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism in Engelbert and the chances of a CBA being signed by the October 31 deadline. However, it is unclear if his positivity is warranted.

In a conversation with former Vice President Kamala Harris, Collier explained why she decided to share her conversations with Engelbert during her exit interview.

In the last edition of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we discussed Napheesa Collier’s league-shaking exit interview. In it, Phee discussed what she feels is a lack of leadership from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league office as a whole.

Among the many things Collier said, she described Engelbert et al. as “the worst leadership in the world”. She noted that Engelbert is often non-responsive to player concerns and shows a general lack of interest in their needs.

Ahead of Game 1, Engelbert addressed the media and the elephant in the room (sorry, Ellie).

Over the course of about 30 tense minutes, Engelbert addressed some key issues facing the league. Here are FOUR key takeaways, with quotes, from Engelbert’s press conference:

• The Connecticut Sun sale

• On the role, if any, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver plays in these negotiations

• On whether she said Caitlin Clark should be grateful for the WNBA’s platform because if she didn’t, she wouldn’t make anything

• On balancing the efforts to grow the league if a lockout or work stoppage occurs

Engelbert also mentioned that she would have a meeting with Collier at some point within the next week or so. About that…

We found out on October 4th that Collier has decided to cancel her scheduled meeting with Cathy Engelbert. And who was the last to find out about said cancellation? Cathy Engelbert.

It can take a lifetime to build a good relationship, but it can take seconds to destroy one. Engelbert's learning that lesson as she navigates this crisis. Respect is a simple thing, but it appears she doesn’t respect the players’ intelligence or status as peers in this space.

In situations where so much is at stake, it takes exceptional leadership to ensure things don’t fall apart. The WNBA has grown tremendously from Engelbert’s arrival in 2019 to now. The league has seen capital raises, half-billion-dollar valuations, and a greater presence in the sports and pop culture landscapes.

As the WNBA enters an uncertain future, can Engelbert be the person to lead them and ensure the players reap the rewards of the new revenue coming in? We’ll find out soon.

🏆 THE FINALS CHANGE LOCATIONS

LAS VEGAS STARTS OFF STRONG

This is the first year of the new best-of-seven championship format. With longer series, we get more good basketball to watch and chances for star players to make history. And in Game 2, one Las Vegas Aces player put on the show of a lifetime.

Jackie Young has been critical to the Aces’ success throughout their playoff run. Working as the second option behind A’ja Wilson, Young has been someone the Aces count on to guard the opponent’s best perimeter player, score on the perimeter, make big plays down the stretch of close games, and more. The former No. 1 pick has done everything asked of her this season, and to top it off, she has gotten off to a tremendous start in these Finals.

In game 2, Young scored a Finals record 21 points in the third quarter as the Aces took firm control of the game. It was a performance that left A’ja Wilson in awe:

This run by the Aces has been somewhat improbable. A lot of people such as myself thought this team was no longer a contender; however, we underestimated the heart, pride, and toughness of champions. The job’s not finished yet, but the Aces have hit all the right buttons so far in this series.

Las Vegas leads 2-0
Game 2 recap by Jack Maloney, CBS Sports

If Phoenix wants to force this series back to Vegas, they’re going to need more from Satou Sabally. Sabally suffered an ankle injury late in Game 2, but she said she’s good to go, so we’ll operate on the assumption that she’ll be in for the rest of this series. With that in mind, the team is going to need her to make the most out of the good scoring opportunities the team creates for her:

As Nekias Duncan wrote over at Yahoo Sports:

“The Mercury certainly need a better, more consistent version of Sabally moving forward, but they’ll be more likely to get it if they scheme up easier-to-read opportunities for her. A quick example: of the eight off-ball screens Sabally received in Game 2, only one of them led to a touch inside the 3-point line. In Game 1, five of her seven off-ball screens led her inside, like the first play here. Sabally has to take ownership of some of her decision-making, but it’s also on the staff to put her in more threatening positions. With two days off before Game 3, I trust that it’ll have a better plan in place.”

This series isn’t over yet and players tend to perform a lot better at home. Nate Tibbets and the Mercury are counting on that to hold true for Sabally and the rest of the team later this week.

 📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

• Aces’ ‘battery’ provides competitive edge during WNBA Finals run by Callie Fin, Las Vegas Review-JournalThe Morning After: Dana Evans wasn't always on track to be the hero of Aces' Game 1 WNBA Finals victory by Nekias Duncan, Yahoo Sports

• [VIDEO] Episode 65: Pull Up with Natasha Cloud by Myles Ehrlich and Owen Pence, Pull Up with Myles and Owen

• Baseline BK: Liberty and Nets Present Basketball Training Facility to Local Youth by Madi Dembele, The Local W

• What It Would Look Like to Pay W.N.B.A. Players What They Deserve by David Berri, New York Times

• The rec center as oasis by Alejandro Danois, Baltimore Beat

🚗 ROAD TRIP!

UNRIVLAED HEADS TO THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE

We’re a few months away from Unrivaled’s sophomore season! The 3×3 league made a successful debut in 2025 and will return even better in 2026. And for a special night on Jan. 30, the league will be hooping it up in a brand new locale.

On October 2, Unrivaled announced that they will be playing back-to-back games on January 30, 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, the first time a women’s pro basketball event will be held in Philly since 1998. The games are a result of the hard work and advocacy of the community as well as investors like Wanda Sykes.

For Unrivaled, this is the first time they will play games outside of Wayfair Arena in Medley, Fla. The league plans to move to a four-city touring model, and a great outing here will build even more momentum. And for one hometown kid, this moment means something special.

"I'm so ecstatic that we're coming back home to Philly,” Natasha Cloud told CBS News. "I haven't played in Philly since I was at St. Joe's, so at 33 to be able to come back home play in front of my family who's still in Delco and in front of so many fans that love the sport. We're the best sports city in the entire world. I truly believe that."

There’s so much excitement around women’s basketball, and with that comes potential for the games to reach even higher heights. As Unrivaled begins to broaden its horizons, the Philadelphia games will serve as a perfect launching pad for them to reach new communities and maintain the momentum the players have generated.

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here’s the schedule for the next few days (Eastern Standard Time)

📲 STAY CONNECTED!

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