WNBA Launching Task Force To Talk Trans Eligibility

The trans athletes debate has long been simmering, but Sophie Cunningham’s controversial remarks have kicked it into high gear.

Now, according to a memo written by league commissioner Cathy Engelbert and obtained by the Associated Press, the WNBA plans to address the debate.

“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 wrote in the memo. “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.”

A league-wide meeting next week was already on the docket, and a task force composed of team presidents and general managers will discuss the topic then. 

Engelbert assures that the league will “always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league. Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained.”

The league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement reads that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, the interpretation is murky because it doesn’t explicitly state whether said woman has to be born a biological woman or can transition into one.

But this meeting should be the jumping-off point to determining who qualifies to hoop in the W.

“We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead,” Engelbert said in the memo. 

While team higher-ups will be part of this first conversation, Engelbert assures that actual players or “team leaders” will have the opportunity to weigh in. She notes that their “perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.”

The trans athletes conversation was reignited during Cunningham’s ESPN interview, where she stated she wanted to protect young girls in locker rooms.

It evolved into protests and rallies outside of her home games, other players asked to weigh in, and even coach Cheryl Reeve took a stance with a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt.

Then the WNBA’s male counterparts jumped in as former NBA players Enes Kanter and Royce White disingenuously declared for the WNBA draft, with the latter calling himself transgender.

Now that the league plans to address the issue head-on, see what social media has to say below.