Commissioner Without a Definition

Cathy Engelbert is retiring as WNBA commissioner at the end of the year. Adam Silver announced it Friday. She has had the job since 2019.

Libs of TikTok posted the news as a verdict: she is leaving because the league still will not say what a woman is.

BREAKING: Cathy Engelbert, the Commissioner for the WNBA, announced her retirement at the end of the 2026 season after the WNBA couldn’t determine what a woman is pic.twitter.com/ENfE8eCQVZ

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 4, 2026

Enes Kanter Freedom posted the same afternoon. “MAKE @WNBA FEMALE AGAIN.” He called the retirement a win for women and an admission that the rules have to change. Then he offered himself as the next commissioner, dictionary included, on the ground that the league still cannot define the word in its own name.

MAKE @WNBA FEMALE AGAIN

Commissioner Freedom Has a Nice Ring to It.

While the reported retirement of #WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is a win for women and an admission that the league’s rules must change, her retirement does not solve the systemic issues which must be… pic.twitter.com/QqIQ3bwKsX

— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) September 4, 2026

On Fox’s Ingraham Angle that same news cycle he put it shorter:

“Just get this, America—instead of defining what a woman is, right? The ‘Cocoo Cathy,’ I call her. Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner, decided to step down as commissioner from one of the biggest organizations in America. I mean, I just want America to understand what’s happening here. What we are doing is working. I want to thank all the parents out there. I want to thank all the Americans out there that believe and trust in us. This is just the beginning. We’re going to try to put as much pressure as we can.”

The fight did not start Friday. The current CBA says “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” It does not say what a woman is. No public rule on sex at birth, hormones, or self-identification.

Enes Kanter: Where was the threat?

Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter banned Enes Kanter Freedom from Wintrust Arena after this past Sunday’s Fever game. The phrase he used was “a potential threat.”

The footage of the moment he is talking about is short.

Watch it here: [VIDEO]

Late third quarter. Natasha Cloud scores, celebrates, then walks toward the baseline. Freedom is sitting there in a shirt that reads “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” He stands. Arms out. One step toward the floor. Security fills the gap. He is walked out holding the shirt up for the building to read.

That is the act. This is how he framed it in a tweet:

“I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA! 🇺🇸”

Alter’s account is that Freedom had been chirping, that people in the seats said he started it, and that the night changed when he got up. “The security’s job isn’t to wait to see how far they get.” Fan code says you do not enter the court. On Wednesday he told OutKick that some threats do not get a warning, and he used shooting a gun as the extreme example.

WNBA Avoids Defining “Woman”

Credit: ESPN

A WNBA task force of team presidents and general managers met Wednesday and discussed transgender athlete participation. They produced no new eligibility policy.

The league’s statement afterward was careful and limited:

Today’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online. We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.

That is the full public position for now.

The current collective bargaining agreement says only that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” It supplies no further definition of “woman,” no reference to sex assigned at birth, no hormone thresholds, and no transition requirements. The league has never had a publicly detailed policy on transgender or intersex athletes. No transgender woman (someone male at birth who identifies as female) has ever played in the WNBA. Two nonbinary players who were female at birth have.

The immediate pressure came from two directions. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in a July ESPN profile that she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” She later called the position “common sense.” Those comments produced small rallies and counter-rallies at Fever games.

Then two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, announced they identify as women and intend to declare for the 2027 WNBA draft. Their moves were widely understood as an attempt to force the league to clarify the vague language in its rules. The league’s statement appears to treat those declarations as the “bad-faith efforts” it denounces.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had already told teams the issue would be discussed and that eligibility rules are collectively bargained. Any real change would require negotiation with the players’ association. The task force is expected to keep talking with stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.

The practical situation remains what it was: the category “women” is left undefined in the governing document of a league built around sex-segregated competition. That gap is what the current controversy keeps exposing. Institutions that rely on sex-based categories while declining to define the category invite exactly this kind of pressure—political, legal, and rhetorical. Whether the WNBA eventually draws a clearer line, and what that line looks like, is still unresolved.

Relevant links

• WNBA task force stops short of new transgender athlete eligibility policy (Fox San Antonio / National News Desk)
• WNBA task force discusses transgender athletes amid furor (ESPN)
• WNBA denounces 'bad-faith' transgender debate and says league has no eligibility issues (Washington Post)
• WNBA’s Inclusion Policy Is Too Vague Amid Trans Athlete Debate (Bloomberg Opinion)
• Sophie Cunningham’s comments on transgender athletes (Sporting News)
• Enes Kanter Freedom formally declares for 2027 WNBA Draft (OutKick / Fox News)
• Royce White declares for 2027 WNBA Draft (OutKick / Fox News)

Been years since I even cared about the Bulls

Chicago Bulls ig

I'm not at all an NBA fan and haven't been since the Bulls won their final NBA title. In recents years the Bulls have made appearances in the playoffs only to be eliminated by at least the conference semi-finals.

The new face of the team is Englewood's Derrick Rose who has had some bad season ending injuries in recent years. To be honest I made some cheap shots on him at least to those I consider friends of mine. Of course the recently concluded series caused me to change my mind about Rose.

To start a lot of people buzzed about the game winning shot that Rose nailed at the buzzer. Unfortunately that proved to be the last game the Bulls won in the series against LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers. DRAT! I really wanted to see a game seven too.

All that shot by Rose in game four did was to really bring some excitement to Bulls basketball although the playoffs ended for them prematurely. I still wouldn't mind seeing another NBA title come to Chicago. In the meanwhile here's hoping the Black Hawks will get something going in their Stanley Cup conference finals!

You know remind me to tell you why I stopped watching the NBA. The Bulls' suckitude after the breakup of the final championship team wasn't the only reaso.

Want to hear the alleged recording of Donald Sterling?

[VIDEO] TMZ shared the actual alleged conversation between LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his lady friend V. Stiviano. Allegedly, Stiviano provided the recording that is causing this controversy. Reason - from whom I found this recording - opined on the subject asking one main question, "Should Sterling be fired for racist remarks?"

If I could answer that question, he should be. Other owners in other major leagues found themselves in hot water and ultimately were removed. If not by a major league itself, the fellow owners took action after a PR nightmare. If it's not good for business, then someone must go right?

Hat-tip Instapundit!

Being a racist owner in the NBA?

Donald Sterling

We're going to be on the topic of sports again later in light of the Black Hawks victory over the St. Louis Blues to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs yesterday. Now we're going to discuss a controversy in the NBA.

The LA Clippers used to be known as perennial losers over the years and lately have become winners and are currently in the playoffs. They're not in the news for their playoff contention, but for the actions of their owner.

Donald Sterling has found himself in the news because of tape that allegedly has him querying his girlfriend - who herself is Black & Mexican - about her association with "minorities". Apparently Mr. Sterling didn't like the fact that his young girlfriend had a picture taken and then deleted from Instagram with Magic Johnson. Then it goes further:

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?" the man believed to be Sterling says. He continues, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games."

Sheesh! Sterling is in the wrong business to harbor these feelings. Besides he's largely employing Blacks and how can his girlfriend associate with a man. It was reported via TMZ that she provided these recordings. The NBA is also investigation whether or not this is actually Sterling.

You know I'm reminded of Cincinatti Reds owner Marge Schott. She had been suspended from her ownership role at one point because she held controversial - racial and anti-semitic - views herself. It appears this article from the Washington Post is also reminded of Ms. Schott.

So now the NBA if the evidence suggest that Sterling did say what he say about Blacks has to make a decision. Perhaps Sterling could be suspended from his ownership or perhaps forced to sell his longtime stake in the Clippers.

He may have to anyway, especially if Magic Johnson was forced to make this tweet. Who else might engage in a boycott against the team as long as Sterling remains owner.

Age doesn’t stop 39-year-old from playing on college basketball team

From the Sun-Times. A Desert Storm veteran doesn't let age stop him from getting on the roster for a local college basketball team. I say good for him and hopefully his team are deemed winners when the season is over.

Jesse Jackson: Cavs owner sees James as 'runaway slave'

As outspoken as ever Rev. Jackson is:

Jesse Jackson says the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave" and that the owner's comments after the NBA forward decided to join the Miami Heat put the player in danger.

Shortly after James announced his decision last week, Dan Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cleveland's fans, ripping the 25-year-old and promising to deliver a title before James wins one. He called James' decision "cowardly" and later told The Associated Press he believes James quit during a handful of Cavaliers playoff games.

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert told the AP in a phone interview late Thursday night. "People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

Jackson said Gilbert's comments were "mean, arrogant and presumptuous."

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," the reverend said in a release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship -- between business partners -- and LeBron honoured his contract."

This is not only incendiary, I think people will really hate LeBron because now Jesse Jackson is bringing racial language into this story. I wonder if Jackson reads the sports pages enough to know that people were tired of the LeBron James spectacle?

Obama hopes star joins hometown Bulls

Hmmm this reminds me of what happened when Chicago attempted to host the 2016 Olympics and Obama made a special trip to Europe to lobby the committee who decided the host city. It didn't work out and a lot of people just said that Obama repelled the committee.

Let's just say that I do hope LeBron James comes to the Bulls. I may actually become a fan again if he does, but let's hope that the President doesn't cause LeBron to go elsewhere.

LeBron James' much-anticipated decision about what team he will play for next season was even on the president's mind Wednesday, and he hasn't wavered in his stance.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs said the topic came up during White House meetings, with Barack Obama mulling how Chris Bosh's decision to join Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat might affect James' thinking on the eve of his expected announcement.

Gibbs said Obama's preference continues to be that the NBA superstar join the Bulls, the president's adopted hometown team.

"The president still believes that he would look quite good in a Bulls uniform," Gibbs told reporters, echoing comments Obama made during a May interview on TNT. Gibbs then joked that the president might be charged with tampering.

There's also that matter of politics. Ohioans are understandably preoccupied with James' decision, hoping the Akron native remains with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Given the Buckeye State's bellwether status in presidential elections, isn't it risky for Obama to be on record supporting James' defection to another city?

"I think ... the people of Ohio and the rest of the country would respect that the president's going to root for the team he's always rooted for," Gibbs said.

Oh snap! Sports and politics converging. This may all be speculation, but perhaps the Bulls-fan-in-chief needs to keep his preferences to himself. Especially if he may have a tough election bid in the next two years.

Coach Carter

On FX recently I caught this movie from beginning to end and I like this movie. Hopefully you'll agree because maybe your teenage plays on a team and you might hope that the team is coached by a man like Carter. This film is based on a true story.

The setting is Richmond, California. A struggling city with a struggling school where it's not expected of many high school graduates to go on to college. It's a tough town with the issues of violence, gangs, & drugs.

Carter was an alumni of Richmond's high school where he's coaching. His credentials as a baller is hanging in the rafters. He has a son who was attending a much more well off private high school who chose to be at his dad's side at Richmond. I should also add that Carter also owned a local business there while he does have a stipend coaching is not his day job, consider this a volunteer gig.

When the coach makes his debut he offers his players contracts. I like this touch perhaps playing basketball on the lowest level should be treated in some respects as the pro-level. In order to play on his team there are some requirements that must be met. The first is presentation, the players must dress in a suit and tie and I suppose the idea might be a show of professionalism. No big deal, except for the parents who at the coach's meeting with them claimed they couldn't afford it although the coach said that one could buy a tie at the goodwill store for .50 cents.

The second requirement is GPA. Players must maintain a 2.3 GPA at least .3 tenths above the district mandated GPA at 2.0. The method behind this is explained by Carter who is looking forward to his players GPA and future college prospects. If a player only had a 2.0 they'd have to score much higher on the SATs than they would if they earned a 2.3. This should be well enough to earn a basketball scholarship to college.

In order to check on his players to make sure they were living up to their bargain in the classroom he had to pester school officials for progress reports. The principal questioned why he would go so far and what does that have to do with his coaching. When he finally did get progress reports he decided to cancel practice and forfeit some of the season so that his players can lift up their grades in order to play.

This is where resistance to his coachship started to get stiff. A window at his store was shattered, he was spat on by a parent, and he had to deal with parents who just didn't see the point about what he was doing. This conflict came to a head at a school board meeting. He made his case told the board that if they didn't support his efforts he'd quit. He had locked his team out of the gym and the school board voted to end this lockout.

I should note that the principal may have agreed but didn't see eye to eye with coach Carter. Of course she may have fell victim to pessimism. She thought apparently that basketball was going to be the highlight of thier school experience and that Carter had no right to even take that away from them. Of course Carter is attempting to look at a bigger picture here to perhaps get beyond the bare minimum and allow these students the idea that they can get the opportunity for education beyond a high school diploma.

Thankfully his team was behind him and they got their grades up so they can play basketball. They were still a great basketball team even after this lockout. At the end of the movie many of these players did actually go to college and playball on the college level even graduate. During the course of this movie a mother mentions that even the idea of junior college was a big step.

Get this movie when you get the first chance!

Armed holdups rattle NBA

Sunday night I discussed the story about the robbery of Eddy Currie in Burr Ridge. After this and another robbery of an NBA star, it has been in the news the past few days that the NBA is issuing alerts for NBA players living in the Chicago area. From the Chicago Tribune...

The Chicago Bulls and the NBA are warning players living in the area to take extra precautions after armed robbers stormed the homes of two local basketball stars in the last month.

Though basketball officials said Tuesday they know of no evidence that links the robberies of Eddy Curry and Antoine Walker, the similarities are alarming enough to prompt the warning, they said.

"Any time something has happened multiple times you want to take precautions to be sure everyone is educated," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said. "We have had two players reportedly held at gunpoint. You can't get more concerning than that."

The NBA's security office is contacting Bulls players and players on other teams who live in and around Chicago, Frank said.

Former Bull and Chicago-area native Curry, his wife, other family members and an employee were robbed early Saturday morning in Curry's home in Burr Ridge. Curry, 6-foot-11 and 285 pounds, was traded before last season to the New York Knicks.

Burr Ridge police spokesman Cpl. Tim Vaclav said the robbers, their faces covered with bandannas, are believed to have entered the home through the garage. Two carried handguns and one had a semiautomatic rifle. The victims were bound with duct tape, but no one was injured.

Contrary to published reports, he said, the home did not have surveillance cameras, and no video exists of the robbers or robbery.

Sources close to the investigation said Curry's children were not home during the robbery. Walker, a former NBA All-Star who plays for the Miami Heat, was robbed July 9 in his River North home, with masked, gun-toting men entering through the garage and binding the 6-foot-9, 245-pound victim with duct tape. He was not injured and reportedly has moved.

Chicago police have questioned a man and woman caught the next day with some of Walker's jewelry after officers stopped their car for running a stop sign on the Southwest Side. They were carrying two watches and a diamond necklace, which Walker identified as his, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

Detectives do not believe the man and woman participated in the robbery, she said.

Ben Wallace is joining the affordable sneaker movement

I never follow the NBA. I haven't since the Bulls last won their NBA title, but today is a special day because I want to talk about sneakers. Yes sneakers.

When I was in high school the big news often was when are these new Jordans coming out. I heard some guy talking about how if he can get these shoes today it's all over. It almost seemed like people waiting for the Nintendo Wii during the last Christmas season.

Well I showed a video of a man visiting a bank talking about saving his money instead of spending them on expensive basketball sneakers. Yeah the man is from My Urban Report make a visit. And then this.

From Gaper's Block, Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallace has lent his support to a line of affordable sneakers...

Stephon Marbury started it. Now, Ben Wallace is joining the cause.

Wallace is lending his name to the Starbury Movement, endorsing an affordable line of sneakers and apparel started by the New York Knicks' star. Wallace will begin wearing the Starbury II basketball shoe Thursday when the Chicago Bulls play his former team, the Detroit Pistons. And his own sneaker -- Big Ben -- is expected to hit the market in late August or the fall.

"Kids don't really understand what it takes to go out and buy a $300 pair of shoes," Wallace said at a news conference on Tuesday. "We don't understand the pressure we put on our parents when we're growing up. This is one of the things where I think the parents will appreciate it a lot more than the kids right now because it eliminates so much stress from the parents. All parents want to see their kids have nice things."

Now if only we can get these kids to think about school and how to dress on a job interview. Instead of them thinking about a pair of athletic shoes that they're not likely to ever play a sport in. Still maybe we do need to move away from expensive athletic shoes.