​Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back about the pros and cons about Cathy Engelbert’s career after he found out about her announcement to retire from the position of WNBA Commissioner following the end of the 2026 season.Engelbert, who turns 62 in November, told The Associated Press on Friday that she has been thinking about retiring for months.“When I first came to the league I intended to do this for 3 1/2 years,” she said in a phone interview. “The 7 1/2 years exceeded that time. This is a really good time given the financial transformation journey we’ve been on. Getting the collective bargaining agreement done, getting a long-term media rights deal done, getting expansion done.”Smith made his usual appearance on ESPN’s First Take show on Friday. He reacted to the news about Engelbert, being glad the news came as the WNBA transitions to a new era of leadership when Engelbert retires in the coming months.“About time. Took her long enough. They’ve been wanting her gone. Wishing nothing but the best, she helped negotiate the latest collective bargaining agreement. Kudos to her. But as Napheesa Collier said last year, she questioned the leadership, accused them of being negligent, said they had the worst leadership in the world, and she had the support of a vast majority of the players,” Smith said.“I thought [Engelbert] was ill-equipped to handle the oncoming microscope that the WNBA obviously had developed, and I think that they do need new leadership. So it’s good that she’s retiring. Everything she did isn’t bad. There’s no denying that she did some good things, but clearly cultivating relationships with players along with league officials is not something that she’s reportedly done a good job of, and when that’s your record at age 61, it is time for you to go. So she’s retired. All the best to her. Wishing her nothing but the best, and the WNBA is in good standing, and she deserves some credit for that.”What’s next for WNBA amid Cathy Engelbert’s announcementJul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks with media before the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Cathy Engelbert told the AP she has been working on a succession plan over the last few years. While she didn’t give specifics on the process, she stated there are both internal and external potential candidates on the league’s radar to the outlet.“It’s a good time to hand it off to the next leader to take the ‘W’ into a better phase,” she said. “I’m proud of the team we built and everything we accomplished. A leader knows when it’s time to drop the mic and move on after building a powerhouse team in the league office.”The WNBA certainly has gained a microscope, both good and bad, as the league garners popularity with the superstars they now have at their disposal. What matters to them now