The WNBA on Wednesday declined to clarify the league’s eligibility rules, amid uproar over concerns that its vague standards on transgender athletes could allow biological males to play in the women’s sport.
The WNBA’s current player eligibility guidelines state that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The standard does not further clarify whether it means biological females, raising questions about whether transgender-identifying women or biological males who identify as women could also participate in the WNBA.
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After former NBA players Royce White and Enes Kanter Freedom protested the ambiguous eligibility guidelines last week by making a symbolic declaration for the 2027 WNBA draft, the women’s league held a meeting this week on the issue. Stakeholders emerged with no further clarity on the rule, with a WNBA spokesperson saying there are “no immediate eligibility matters” impacting the league.
“We strongly denounce the bad faith efforts to use these topics to marginalize or demean others,” the WNBA spokesperson said. “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. We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league.”
The WNBA’s statement denouncing “hate and vitriol” appears to be pointed at Freedom and White’s attempt to back the league into a corner on its policy on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I think the WNBA could come out and make a definitive statement about guys with a pair of balls playing in the Women’s Association,” White told Fox News Digital last Friday.
In response to the two former NBA players’ move to declare for the WNBA draft, the women’s league assembled a task force of team presidents and general managers to examine the WNBA’s eligibility rules for transgender athletes.
The controversy has further blown up due to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s public support for keeping the sport limited to biological female athletes, which went viral after comments she made in an ESPN profile released in July.
“I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest,” Cunningham told the sports network. “And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
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When later pressed about her comments, Cunningham declined to back down, arguing her stance is “common sense”.
“I think I’ll always believe in that,” she said. “I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said.”
