WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert says league is looking to play overseas in 2027

NEW YORK (AP) — As the WNBA is racing through free agency, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is already looking overseas.

Engelbert said before the draft Monday night that the league is looking to play a game outside North America for the first time in 2027. The WNBA expanded to Toronto this season, its first franchise outside the United States.

“We’re heavily looking at that,” Engelbert said of playing either an exhibition or regular-season game overseas. “Obviously this year we have the FIBA World Cup. Next year we expect that we’ll do something outside of North America as a true global game.”

The league welcomed its 2026 draft class days after a historic free agency period opened that included its first million-dollar contracts.

“I’m pretty emotional seeing 23 million-dollar contracts signed only two days into free agency,” Engelbert said. “Now these players can build real generational wealth.”

Engelbert deflected a question about her future as commissioner.

“I do crack up, everyone’s focused on me and you should be focused on the hundreds and thousands of women who run this league outside of myself,” she said.

Engelbert went back at the reporter, asking, “I wonder if you would ask that of a man?”

The commissioner went on to say she was “thrilled with the trajectory, growth and was really looking forward to the next few years.”

Engelbert said that the Board of Governors still needs to approve the sale of the Connecticut Sun to Tilman Fertitta, owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets.

She said specifics of the move from Connecticut to Houston might be better discussed by the Rockets group and the franchise in the future.

Engelbert said she hoped Connecticut fans would still support the team this season.

“Great basketball state for women’s basketball, some would call it the center of women’s basketball,” she said.

The league's new collective bargaining agreement still needs to get finished with the long form sheet. Engelbert estimated its length at 400 to 500 pages and said it will be finished soon. The deal was transformational with record salary increases, housing adjustments for players, 401k contributions and money given to former players.

The WNBA started a state-of-the-game task force that included a subgroup on officiating to help improve the quality of play on the court. Engelbert said the group received input from players, the union executive committee, college coaches, general managers and head coaches.

“You’ll see some changes around physicality this year,” she said. “All sides will get used to it and that will play out over the year. It’s going to be a physical game, we got to draw lines around physicality.”

It's been a busy two weeks for the WNBA with the labor deal completed so late. Free agency opened up a week ago and a flurry of players have signed over the last few day. Still, 80% of players were free agents this offseason and there are still many that need to sign. Training camps open on Sunday with the regular season tipping off May 8.

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WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks before the WNBA basketball draft Monday, April 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks before the WNBA basketball draft Monday, April 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Quick says Monday night's game was his last in the NHL, meaning the 40-year-old is retiring to end a career that spanned nearly two decades and included a stretch in which he was one of the best goaltenders of his generation.

Quick and the New York Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers, 3-2.

“Team played great,” Quick said. "I wished I'd had a couple more saves for them. ... But it was still special, to see the way these guys played. It's an honor to play my last game with this group here."

Quick announced earlier in the day that Monday would be his finale, and that when the news got out the text messages and well-wishes began pouring in. The day became a trip down memory lane, Quick said, and the Rangers all took the ice for warmups wearing jerseys with his name and number 32 on the back.

“That was cool,” Quick said. “That was special from those guys.”

The game at Florida was his 921st appearance, counting playoffs.

“He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and staff members through his work ethic and dedication to his craft,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement posted on social media. “Jonathan is a special person and player, and the entire Rangers organization wishes him — along with his wife, Jackie, and three children, Madison, Carter and Cash — all the best in retirement.”

Quick backstopped the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and ’14 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during the first of those two title runs.

The Milford, Connecticut, native was the U.S. starter at the 2014 Olympics and has a Cup ring from 2023 as a backup for the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas beat Florida in that series in 2023, and Quick shared a handshake with Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky when that matchup was over.

Bobrovsky — who led Florida to the Cup in 2024 and 2025 — made sure there was one last handshake line for Quick on Monday night, leading the Panthers over to the Rangers' side of the ice. Quick had already gone down the tunnel after the final buzzer, and Bobrovsky asked some of the Rangers to send word that Florida was waiting to give him an appropriate sendoff.

So, Quick returned and Bobrovsky was the first to embrace him and share a few congratulatory words.

“The guys came in and reminded me to get out there,” Quick said.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Florida didn't want to pay any homage to Quick during the game, so as not to disrupt the goalie's typical routines.

“Sergei had the lead there. He has a better understanding and respect for what Jonathan Quick has done in his career," Maurice said. “Both of them have got a couple of rings. They both get it. I think that’s just wonderful when the players respect the players the way we do.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) protects the net from Detroit Red Wings center Emmitt Finnie (58) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) stops the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against Detroit Red Wings, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)