Retirement speeches are usually all thank-yous. Cathy Engelbert's had receipts.

Before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday, the outgoing commissioner said this was "the most successful season in the history of our league by many metrics." Per ESPN, she cited more than 90 million unique U.S. viewers, a record 11,500 fans per game and almost two-thirds of regular-season games selling out. "Never thought I'd be standing up here talking in billions at the W, but we're there," she said.

She was also candid about her rocky relationship with players, which hit a low point before a tense labour deal was settled in March. "You have to have very thick skin," she said of the job.

Her legacy: the league grew from 12 teams to 15 on her watch, with 18 coming by 2030, and top salaries now top $1 million. Engelbert retires at the end of the year, and a search firm is hunting for her successor.