The leadership of the WNBA has come under heavy criticism throughout the 2026 season, some of it in good faith and some of it not so much. Back in August, Bill Simmons spoke out forcefully against WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, arguing that she should be replaced.
With Engelbert retiring at the end of the calendar year, Simmons doesn’t have to worry about her holding the position for much longer. However, he could not hold back from taking another shot at Engelbert and her constituents on Monday following the scheduling announcement for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals.
What to know
Earlier today, the WNBA revealed how it would handle its scheduling conflict for Thursday’s Game 6: the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries would tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, while the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks would push back their game, originally scheduled for 7 p.m., to 8 p.m. in order to accommodate the change.
The Dream and Valkyries were originally slated to play at 8 p.m. ET, but in order to do so, would not have been able to play at the larger State Farm Arena because of the Hawks game. Gateway Center Arena, the Dream’s usual home venue, has capacity for only 3,500 fans.
“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line,” Engelbert said in a press release. “We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta.
The early afternoon start time has been met with pushback from fans and media members alike, and it’s why Simmons took aim at Engelbert on X.
‘One of the dumbest leadership seasons’
“Incredible! A heroic finishing touch to one of the dumbest leadership seasons in professional sports history. They’ve had like 12 major decisions in 2026 and somehow went 0 for 12. People want to like this league!” The Ringer founder tweeted.
In a follow-up tweet, Simmons joked that USA Network, which will broadcast Game 6, will preempt “three hours of ‘Chicago PD’ re-runs” in order to show the action.
This storyline isn’t going anywhere, and no matter how positive Engelbert and the W attempted to be in their official announcement, we’d bet that the league is praying the Finals goes to a deciding Game 7 so they don’t have to have a championship decided on a Thursday afternoon.
Game 5 of the WNBA Finals is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and CNBC. The Valkyries and Dream have split the first four games of the series.
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