Stephen A. Smith has never been one to shy away from bold takes, but his recent comments about WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert have lit a fire under the entire sports world. On ESPN’s First Take, Smith doubled down on his call for Engelbert to resign, insisting that her leadership is actively holding the league back at a time when women’s basketball is finally on the brink of mainstream dominance.

What made his comments even more shocking was that Smith refused to back down, even after criticism came flooding in from league officials and Engelbert’s supporters. “I stand by every single word I said,” Smith told viewers. “This is not personal — this is business.

The WNBA has an opportunity it’s never had before thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Aliyah Boston, JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and others coming into the spotlight. And yet, under Cathy Engelbert’s leadership, the league is squandering that opportunity.”

Smith emphasized what many players and fans have echoed in recent months: poor officiating, lack of transparency, and questionable decision-making are eroding the WNBA’s credibility.

He specifically pointed to the chaos surrounding the Fever-Aces playoff series, where accusations of rigged officiating and unfair treatment became the main storyline instead of the players themselves. “When the headlines are about referees and corruption instead of about the game, that is a failure of leadership at the very top,” Smith declared.

The ESPN host also referenced the growing wave of discontent from players like Napheesa Collier, Sophie Cunningham, and others who have openly criticized Engelbert. For Smith, the commissioner’s inability to unify the players and address their concerns is a major red flag.

“When you’ve got stars blasting the commissioner publicly, that tells you something is broken. And if she can’t fix it, she needs to step aside for someone who can,” he argued.

Smith’s stance has resonated strongly with fans. Social media exploded after his segment aired, with hashtags like #FireCathy and #StephenAWasRight trending within hours. Fever fans in particular felt validated, given their long-held frustrations about inconsistent officiating and what they perceive as the league’s lack of protection for Caitlin Clark. “Finally, someone with a big platform is saying what we’ve all been screaming,” one fan wrote on X.

Not everyone, however, is thrilled with Stephen A.’s comments. Some insiders believe his call for Engelbert’s resignation was too extreme and risks undermining the progress she has made in areas like sponsorship growth and media deals.

Engelbert herself has not yet issued a direct response, but league sources suggest she is “disheartened” by the way prominent figures are piling on during such a critical moment for the WNBA.

Still, Smith appears unmoved by the backlash. He reiterated on air that “this is about accountability” and not personal animosity. He framed his argument as a wake-up call, saying that the WNBA has to stop operating in survival mode and start acting like a league ready to compete with other major sports. “The stars are here, the fans are showing up, the ratings are climbing — but the leadership is not keeping up,” he said with conviction.

With Stephen A.’s comments fueling an already heated debate, the spotlight on Cathy Engelbert has never been brighter. Will she weather the storm and prove her critics wrong, or will the pressure from fans, media, and even her own players eventually push her out?

One thing is clear: the conversation about Engelbert’s future is no longer happening in whispers — it’s being broadcast on national television, and the pressure is only mounting.