WNBA Weighs In on 'Bad-Faith' Transgender Debate

The WNBA on Wednesday criticized those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league, the AP reports. "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," a league spokesperson said Wednesday in a statement, hours after an anti-hate task force met virtually and discussed a variety of topics, including social media vitriol and transgender athletes.

The league's collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but it does not include any more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Last Friday, two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, declared themselves eligible for next April's WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

There has never been a transgender woman—a person assigned male at birth who transitions to align with their gender identity—on a WNBA roster. There have been players in the league who were assigned female at birth and later came out as transgender or nonbinary. The anti-hate committee was formed last year to deal with hateful and abusive online comments directed at players and the league. "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," the WNBA statement said. "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."