WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says others are trying to 'sow divisiveness' in transgender debate

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has spoken out against individuals she claims are attempting to "sow divisiveness" amid the league's ongoing debate over transgender athletes. The remarks were made during a pregame gathering before the Indiana Fever's 91-85 defeat to the Dallas Wings at the Dallas Mavericks' home stadium. Demonstrators had gathered outside the American Airlines Center, a scene that has repeated at various venues since Sophie Cunningham, a Fever player, expressed support for excluding transgender girls and women from girls and women's sports in an ESPN profile.

In a recent league statement, the WNBA criticized attempts to make a political issue out of transgender athletes' eligibility in the league. Engelbert's comments, made alongside Dallas Wings CEO and managing partner Greg Bibb, marked her first public stance on the matter since the league criticized what it termed "bad faith efforts" to use the debate to "demean or marginalize others."

Engelbert emphasized that "people are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness," claiming that the WNBA is being used as a "political football" by those who have not followed the league or written about it. The collective bargaining agreement for the league stipulates that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but it does not provide further details regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

This week, two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, citing their identity as women. Engelbert subsequently sent a memo to team presidents and general managers, stating that the league would address the issue of transgender women in women's basketball. "There's always going to be haters out there and we denounce it," Engelbert stated. "But that's what happens when you have made it as a legitimate sports media and entertainment product."