Episode 105: Cathy Engelbert's Game-Changing Journey From Walk-On to WNBA Commissioner

Episode 105: Cathy Engelbert - June 9, 2026 WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was a two-sport athlete at Lehigh and became Deloitte’s first female CEO. Today, she’s one of the most powerful women in sports. Engelbert joins Bonnie Bernstein on The Athlete Effect™ for a conversation focused on her journey from athlete to WNBA Commissioner, and the defining moments that have forged her path. She reflects on the evolution of her leadership style, a wake-up call that reshaped her approach to work-life balance and transparency, and how discipline, curiosity, and resilience from basketball and lacrosse have influenced her career. For Engelbert, “taking your shot” isn’t just a theme, it’s her life’s through line. The daughter of an NBA player and one of eight siblings, the South Jersey native was raised in a competitive, sports-driven environment. At Lehigh University, she played basketball under Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw and served as senior captain of both basketball and lacrosse, learning that consistency in ordinary moments separates good from great. After 33 years at Deloitte, where she became the first woman to lead a Big Four professional services firm's US division, she made a historic leap into sports as the WNBA’s first Commissioner. In that role, she led a $75 million capital raise and helped engineer a collective bargaining agreement that delivered historic increases in player salaries and benefits. Connect with Cathy Engelbert: Instagram: @wnbacommish Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cathyengel... X: @CathyEngelbert Linkedin:   / cathy-engelbert-75400618   Chapters: ▶ 0:00 Intro: Imposter Syndrome, Identity Crisis & Leadership ▶ 3:10 Balancing Career, Family & Leadership ▶ 5:20 Growing Up in a Competitive Family ▶ 7:05 A Title IX Kid & Three-Sport Athlete ▶ 10:05 Walking On to the Basketball Team at Lehigh ▶ 13:00 Lessons from Legendary Coach Muffet McGraw ▶ 16:00 Why Cathy Chose Accounting Over Sports ▶ 18:05 How Accounting Prepared Her to Lead Deloitte & the WNBA ▶ 21:00 Losing Her Father & Learning to Take Risks ▶ 23:45 The Identity Crisis Athletes Face After Sports ▶ 26:00 Becoming WNBA Commissioner While Being a Mom ▶ 28:15 Leading Authentically & Giving Others Permission to Do the Same ▶ 30:20 Grace Under Pressure: Staying Calm as a Leader ▶ 33:15 Financial Literacy, Investing & Women's Sports ▶ 36:10 The Future of the WNBA & Women's Basketball ▶ 38:15 Why Cathy Still Shoots Hoops Today ▶ 40:15 Quick Hits & Final Thoughts ▶ 42:12 Closing Remarks --- The Athlete Effect™: • Subscribe on YouTube:    / @theathleteeffect   • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033etu1... • Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... • Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1353-t... • Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/872... • Listen on Audacy: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-at... • Follow on Instagram:   / the_athlete_effect   • Follow on TikTok:   / theathleteeffect   Bonnie Bernstein: • Follow on Instagram:   / bonniebernstein   • Follow on X: https://x.com/BonnieBernstein • Follow on LinkedIn:   / bonnie-bernstein