WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has sent a memo to teams addressing ongoing discussions about transgender athlete participation in women's basketball, emphasizing that the league will approach the topic thoughtfully and in alignment with its values.
Memo outlines league's approach
In the memo, sent Friday afternoon and obtained by the Associated Press, Engelbert acknowledged the recent questions regarding transgender athlete participation and thanked team personnel for their thoughtful responses to media inquiries. She noted that the topic will be discussed further by a task force of team presidents and general managers at a previously scheduled meeting next week.
Engelbert wrote that the league will "always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league," adding that player eligibility rules are collectively bargained and that preserving the integrity of the game remains a priority.
Comments spark protests
The memo follows comments from Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham, who voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls' and women's sports in an ESPN article last month. Her remarks sparked small rallies and protests in Seattle and Portland, with a lone protester at the Fever's home game against Las Vegas on Thursday. Members of two conservative groups are planning a rally in support of Cunningham ahead of Indiana's game in Chicago on Saturday.
The league hasn't made any public comments on the issue, but the memo indicates ongoing conversations with teams and the Players Association.
Players' union responds
The WNBA players' association released a statement Friday emphasizing diversity and inclusion, saying the group "will not be used as political pawns." The statement read: "We embrace justice equity, diversity, and inclusion. Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women's sports while creating transformational change. 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."
Some WNBA players and coaches have shown support for transgender athletes, including Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who said, "We need to protect trans kids. To me, it's a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports."
