RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The WNBA and team representatives from across the league met Wednesday, Aug. 12 for planned talks on various matters, including ongoing debate over transgender females' participation in women's basketball.
\n "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," a statement USA TODAY received from a WNBA spokesperson said.
\n "We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. 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."
\n The meeting and subsequent statement come amid nearly season-long national dialogue and increased scrutiny of how the WNBA handles player safety, race, politics and gender issues.
\n The league has found itself at the center of debate over transgender athlete inclusion following comments Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made about "protecting women's sports" through clear gender policies.
\n "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. 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," Cunningham told ESPN during a February interview that was published July 21.
\n Since Cunningham's comments, multiple "Support Sophie Cunningham" demonstrations have occurred outside Fever games, including as recently as Saturday, Aug. 8, before a road game against the Chicago Sky.
\n More: Coach Stephanie White condemns online vitriol toward Fever: 'Go to hell'
\n That same day, the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) released a statement denouncing transphobia and other forms of hate.
\n "The WNBPA represents 200+ individual people with different lived experiences, cultures, lifestyles, and opinions. We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion," the union said. "Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns."
\n The day before, on Aug. 7, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a memo to teams addressing conversations around transgender athletes in women's basketball, the Associated Press and ESPN reported .
\n "I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women's basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention," Engelbert said. "I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism."
\n Engelbert's memo also mentioned that the WNBA plans to "approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league."
\n "Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained," she added. "Lastly, preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league's highest priorities."
\n The league's collective bargaining agreement, negotiated and ratified earlier this year, states "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." It includes additional eligibility criteria such as age and remaining collegiate eligibility. However, it does not explicitly mention gender identity or gender at birth. The absence of that specificity has been thrust into the national spotlight.
\n In February, President Donald Trump 's administration enacted sweeping anti-transgender executive orders and federal policy changes, signing Executive Order 14201, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports".
\n The directives work to provide a government-wide definition that recognizes only two sexes assigned at birth, restrict transgender inclusion in school and college sports under Title IX, target federal funding for gender-affirming care and roll back federal non-discrimination protections.
\n The wave of anti-transgender legislation is aimed at a small part of the population — 1% of people aged 13 and over in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to a 2025 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law.
\n The Human Rights Campaign reported in 2023 that 19% of transgender youth nationwide were playing sports, including fewer than 1,300 who played sports in school. In 2024, NCAA president Charlie Baker testified to the Senate that he knows of fewer than 10 transgender student-athletes out of 510,000 college athletes.
\n No transgender women play in the WNBA.
\n This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA denounces 'bad-faith' actors in transgender athlete debate
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