Players want protection

Natasha Cloud wants the next commissioner to be a former player, preferably from a minority group, who understands the strain players face as attention grows.

“better protect players from the hazards of mainstream attention”

Business chops matter

Elizabeth Williams wants someone who knows the WNBA and understands business. The job now demands both player credibility and dealmaking skill.

“some level of business knowledge”

A stronger inheritance

The next commissioner takes over a league far healthier than Cathy Engelbert did in 2019. But growth is still tangled by NBA control.

“it still has a long way to go”

Expansion needs math

The WNBA is set to reach 18 teams by decade’s end, up from 12. The hard question is how many more teams the player pool can support.

“How many more can be added without diluting the quality of play?”

International talent helps

Recent expansion has worked partly because top international players filled new rosters. Better pay and FIBA flexibility can keep that pipeline strong.

More games are coming

More teams mean more games, which fans and TV partners will welcome. Players worry that the current summer window is already too tight.

“More basketball, yay!”

The calendar is stuck

The commissioner can either squeeze more into the summer or push the NBA to allow a winter schedule. That move would face arena and TV resistance.

“create more time out of thin air”

Officials need investment

Cheryl Reeve sees some officiating progress, but the system still makes little sense. WNBA refs train through the NBA’s developmental league and earn far less.

“the system is still flawed”

What game do they want

The league also needs agreement on style. Reeve and Napheesa Collier want more freedom for offense, while Cloud prefers allowing tougher defense.

“freedom of movement”

Franchise gaps are glaring

Some teams look major league, others still do not. The Valkyries sell out 18,000 seats, while the Mystics play in a much smaller setting.

“what feels like a high school gym”

Facilities show the split

The Mercury practice in a $100 million facility. The Sky rotate between college gyms. New CBA standards should end the worst setups.

“minimum standards for resources”

Uniformity is the goal

Minimums are only a start. The commissioner needs a plan to make team resources less uneven across the league.

“more uniformity across the board”

Growth brings backlash

The WNBA’s rise has exposed how uneasy some people are with women’s basketball as big business. The commissioner must help fans embrace the league and protect players.

“professional women’s basketball as big business”

The hardest needle

Any commissioner balances owners and players. The WNBA’s next leader may also need to defy the NBA when the women’s league needs something different.

“the guts to defy their superiors”