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Cathy Engelbert's Bar Dance-Off with Lynx 'StudBudz' Has WNBA Fans Cracking CBA Jokes

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert went viral for dancing with the "Studbudz" at a bar amid CBA negotiations.
Grant Young|
Jul 17, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert arrives on the Orange Carpet to start the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Jul 17, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert arrives on the Orange Carpet to start the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The WNBA is in a critical place right now, as negotiations are underway regarding the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is going to play a pivotal role in how much the league will continue to grow and become more mainstream.

Given that these negotiations are between the WNBA and its players, there's certainly some tension between these two sides, especially regarding league commissioner Cathy Engelbert. However, despite a big meeting taking place on July 17 (that seemingly didn't go well, considering what several players have said), this All-Star weekend in Indianapolis is a great place for people to forget about the league's future for a couple of days and instead come together to celebrate its present.

This is exactly what Engelbert seemed to do with Minnesota Lynx players Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman (who are setting the women's basketball world ablaze with their "StudBudz" live stream on Twitch) on Friday night, as was seen dancing with these two players at a bar in downtown Indianapolis.

Several clips of this dancing display have gone viral on X. And many fans seem to be cracking jokes about this bar meetup and ensuing dance impacting the ongoing CBA negotiations.

"LOOK AT OUR COMMISSIONER DAWG WE FINNA HAVE A LOCKOUT 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭," one fan wrote with a clip of Engelbert and the Studbudz dancing.

Another fan commented by saying, "Can they dance her into some better contracts???"

"Relatable shtick with the employees during negotiations? Cathy I’m familiar with your game sister," a third fan responded.

Jokes aside, WNBA fans have got to appreciate the fact that no other major sports league commissioner would likely be seen dancing in a bar with two of their players.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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