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W.N.B.A., who has not had a permanent leader since Lisa Borders resigned as president in October, appointed Cathy Engelbert as commissioner. Ms. Engelbert will lead a league that strives to make herself known and is engaged in collective bargaining in a tight deadline.
Ms. Engelbert was elected Executive Director of the Deloitte Accounting Organization in 2015. At Deloitte, a private company, the partners elect the CEO for a four-year term. In March, Deloitte partners elected the new CEO. Engelbert will join W.N.B.A. July 17 after the end of his term.
"Cathy is a world-class business leader with close ties to women's basketball, making her the perfect fit to lead the W.N.B.A. Adam Silver, commissioner of the NB, said in a statement Wednesday.
Ms. Engelbert has worked at Deloitte since 1986, after graduating from Lehigh University, where she was captain of the basketball team. She averaged 14 points per game in her final year, when the Mountain Hawks won the East Coast Conference Tournament. In the title match, Ms. Engelbert scored 20 points and was recognized in Allentown's The Morning Call for keeping "the pieces stuck together when the cracks started to appear".
In a statement Wednesday, Engelbert said it was "an absolute privilege to join the W.N.B.A. at such an exciting and important moment in its history. "
"I see a tremendous opportunity to increase the visibility of women's basketball, empower the players and strengthen the engagement of supporters," she said.
Ms. Engelbert defended inclusion in the workplace. She Announced having almost left Deloitte in the 1990s while she was pregnant with her first child and, under her leadership, the firm announced a 16 week paid family leave policy.
The W.N.B.A. Players Union stated that he was "encouraged" that the league chose someone with Engelbert's experience and knowledge of the game.
"We look forward to working with Cathy and seeing a redefined commitment to policies that value and support the women and mothers who work in the league," said the Women's National Basketball Association. "The progressive thinking and values that Cathy has demonstrated throughout her career leave us optimistic about the future of W.N.B.A. players. "
At Lehigh, Engelbert played under the orders of Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw, who has already led Notre Dame to CNA twice. women's championships. At the Four-finals this year, Ms. McGraw has made a passionate case of hiring more women to coach women's basketball.
The 23rd season of W.N.B.A. will begin on May 24 and will play a disproportionate role in the future at a time when other professional sports leagues are struggling. Mrs Engelbert will have little time to get wet.
The league has a new logo and a new color scheme and announced last month the signing of an agreement with CBS Sports Network to offer more games to a national audience. While the television audience was up last season, the number of spectators dropped by 13%, in part because Liberty's home games were transferred from Madison Square Garden to the much smaller Westchester County Center.
W.N.B.A. has not had a president since October, when Ms. Borders withdrew to create Time's Up, a women's rights group in the workplace. Mark Tatum, MP N.B.A. Commissioner, acted as Acting President.
Ms. Engelbert will lead the league through collective bargaining with her players, which are continuing. Last fall, players exercised their option to terminate the collective agreement after the 2019 season, dissatisfied with a pay structure negotiated before the league's last deal with ESPN, which more than doubled the annual revenue from television, as well as what players consider to be substandard. working conditions and other concerns.
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