WNBA Union Criticizes NBA After Women's Leagues Left Out of Betting-Harassment Memo

On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS, along with their respective player unions, sent a memo to state gaming regulators and regulatory authorities. The five leagues, describing themselves in the memo as the "five largest professional sports leagues and players associations," called for additional regulations that would ban fans who threaten athletes because of sports betting.

Neither the WNBA nor the NWSL was included in the memo or the joint statement. According to Front Office Sports, WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson responded with a statement: "It is deeply disappointing that, given the very public and troubling incidents of betting-related harassment experienced by our members over the past several seasons, the NBA determined that WNBA players did not warrant inclusion in a joint position statement intended to address this very issue."

The memo stated: "Threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable." Front Office Sports reported that in July 2026, Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray posted a screenshot on her Instagram Story showing a user calling her a racial slur, with the user's Instagram bio including "sports betting." Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud told Front Office Sports that she had asked both NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to address player safety around betting.

Cloud said: "So for both Adam and Cathy, there still has to be dialogue around this as our leagues continue to expand and as we continue to navigate what this betting world is. Cause we want to be in it; it's great for our league, but also within it, we have to be protected as human beings when we take these jerseys off." In late July 2026, Engelbert and league security met with several WNBA player committees to discuss improving player security. WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams said after that meeting: "Overall, there are steps that are being taken, which is encouraging. But we just want to see a little more consistency."

NWSL union director Meghann Burke told Front Office Sports that the NWSLPA learned of the memo through media inquiries. Burke said: "Yes, the NWSLPA supports efforts to protect professional athletes in both men's and women's sports from harassment and violent threats of all kinds for all reasons, including those of the kind driven by sports betting." According to Front Office Sports, the NBA owns approximately 42 percent of the WNBA, while several NBA owners hold additional separate equity stakes in the women's league, and the leagues operate from the same New York offices. Front Office Sports reported that the NBA and NWSL did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the WNBA declined to comment.

Cathy Engelbert announced she will retire at the end of the year.