WNBA commissioner says league will continue discussing issue of transgender participation
The league will hold additional discussions and listening sessions as two former NBA players say they are eligible for the 2027 WNBA draft.
- On Wednesday, a WNBA task force of team presidents and general managers met to discuss transgender athlete eligibility but did not establish new rules, according to a league statement.
- The review follows declarations by former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White for the 2027 WNBA draft, plus ongoing controversy over Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's remarks on transgender athletes in women's sports.
- Under the 2026 CBA, 'only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,' yet the league provides no further definition of what constitutes a woman.
- Before Indiana's win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday, Fever coach Stephanie White stated, 'The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that's trying to hijack our league will not win.'
- The WNBA will continue engaging stakeholders in coming weeks while denouncing 'bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others,' according to the league's Wednesday statement.
135 Articles
135 Articles
DC Residents Know Men Don't Belong in WNBA
A task force for the Women’s National Basketball Association reached no conclusion on the definition of a woman after it met Wednesday to discuss eligibility rules for players. “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,” a WNBA spokesman...
WNBA Finishes Meeting On Transgender Athletes, Decides Nothing
The WNBA held a meeting Wednesday to discuss the all-important question, “What is a woman?” as it faces controversy over whether men should be allowed in the league. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told teams in a memo that a committee consisting of team presidents and general managers would speak on the issue of men in women’s sports during the meeting, according to ESPN. The result of the meeting was underwhelming as WNBA leaders came to no…
Former NCAA Athlete Slams Cathy Engelbert’s Leadership Amid Intensifying WNBA Gender Controversy
Cathy Engelbert is facing yet another wave of criticism amid the debate about the WNBA’s stance on trans athletes in women’s sports. Engelbert and the WNBA have been facing criticism about the officiating consistency since the season began. Now, former NCAA swimmer turned activist Riley Gaines, who has already publicly supported Sophie Cunningham’s opposition to trans athletes competing in women’s sports, has criticized the commissioner. During …
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