The WNBA issued a statement on Wednesday addressing discussions surrounding transgender women participating in the league. A league spokesperson stated, "There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others." This statement followed a virtual meeting of an anti-hate task force that discussed various issues, including social media negativity and transgender athletes.
According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but it lacks specific language regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Recently, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced their eligibility for the WNBA draft, identifying as women. The draft is scheduled for April 2027.
Historically, no transgender women have been on a WNBA roster, although some players assigned female at birth have come out as transgender or nonbinary. The anti-hate committee was established last year to address hateful comments directed at players and the league.
The WNBA's statement emphasized ongoing discussions about transgender athletes and the harmful online comments directed at players. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert communicated with team presidents and general managers last Friday, indicating that the league would engage in discussions regarding transgender women in women's basketball. Engelbert acknowledged the complexity of the topic and expressed the importance of feedback from team leaders.
In a recent ESPN article, Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham expressed support for prohibiting transgender girls and women from competing in women's sports, which led to protests in Seattle and Portland. Conversely, some WNBA players and coaches, including Stefanie Dolson and Cheryl Reeve, have voiced their support for transgender athletes, with Reeve stating, "We need to protect trans kids. To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports." Many players have chosen not to comment on the issue.