The WNBA recently expressed concerns over efforts to create divisive narratives about transgender women participating in the league. On Wednesday, a spokesperson asserted that current eligibility issues are nonexistent, emphasizing the condemnation of attempts to demean or marginalize individuals. This statement followed an online meeting of an anti-hate task force that addressed various issues, including social media hostility and the involvement of transgender athletes.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement stipulates that only women are eligible to play in the WNBA; however, it lacks explicit language about gender identity or sex at birth. Recently, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced their intentions to enter the WNBA draft, citing their identification as women.
To date, there has been no presence of transgender women on a WNBA roster. The league, however, has featured players assigned female at birth who later identified as transgender or nonbinary. The anti-hate committee was established last year to address hateful online commentary directed at players and the league.
The WNBA stated, “Today’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert communicated to team presidents and general managers about future deliberations concerning transgender women in women’s basketball. She acknowledged the complexity of the topic and highlighted plans for more discussions and listening sessions. Engelbert emphasized the value of feedback from league stakeholders.
Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham recently voiced support for excluding transgender females from girls’ and women’s sports, leading to protests in Seattle and Portland. Nonetheless, figures like Seattle Storm’s Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve have advocated for transgender athletes, voicing the need to protect the rights of all youth in sports.
Reeve stressed, “To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports.”
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