WNBA task force denounces ‘bad-faith’ transgender debate and says league has no eligibility issues
An WNBA anti-hate task force met virtually Wednesday and criticized those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league. “There are no immediate…
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has denounced claims of a "bad-faith" debate surrounding transgender players, asserting that the league faces no eligibility issues. This stance was delivered in a statement following a virtual meeting of the WNBA anti-hate task force, which aimed to address hateful and abusive online comments targeting players and the league.
The task force emphasized that the league's collective bargaining agreement stipulates that only players who identify as women are eligible to participate in the WNBA, without offering further clarification on gender identity or sex at birth. Despite this, two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, have recently declared their eligibility for the WNBA draft, citing their gender identity.
As of now, there has never been a transgender woman—defined as an individual assigned male at birth who transitions to align with their gender identity—on a WNBA roster. However, there have been players who were assigned female at birth but later came out as transgender or nonbinary. The task force, established last year, has also been focused on addressing the ongoing issues of online harassment and hate directed at players and the league.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the matter in a memo to team presidents and general managers, indicating that the league intends to engage in discussions about transgender women in women's basketball.
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