A group made up of prominent WNBA stakeholders is expected to meet next week to examine how the league should approach the future of transgender athletes in women’s basketball.
The planned discussion was revealed in a leaked memo from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who is facing growing scrutiny as the debate intensifies. In the note, Engelbert said the league remains focused on “preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition.”
The issue has moved to the center of the WNBA conversation in recent weeks after Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham said she wanted to “protect young girls” from “biological men.”
Cunningham’s remarks drew both backlash and public support, including from Vice President JD Vance. The controversy escalated again Friday when former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced they were making themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, stating that they identify as women. By Sunday, White was mocking critics online, posing in a wig and joking about entering his “feminine era”.
The WNBA has yet to issue a public statement on transgender athlete participation, even as pressure builds around Engelbert and the league’s policy direction. However, The Associated Press obtained a memo the commissioner sent to teams.
“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, which was distributed Friday afternoon.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has sent teams a memo addressing transgender athlete participation
Sophie Cunningham recently said she wants to “protect young girls” from “biological men”
Ex-NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom has vowed to officially declare for the WNBA Draft in 2027
Royce White trolled his critics by posing in a wig and celebrating his ‘feminine era’
‘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.’
The memo said 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.
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‘Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained. Lastly, preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league’s highest priorities.’
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.
‘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.
‘We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.’
The WNBA players’ association released a statement on social media Friday that emphasized diversity and inclusion while saying the group ‘will not be used as political pawns.’
Engelbert wrote in the memo that the league will ‘always approach this topic thoughtfully’
White became the second former NBA player to declare for next year’s WNBA Draft
‘We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,’ the statement read. ‘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 come out in support of transgender athletes, including Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.
‘We need to protect trans kids,’ Reeve said on Aug. 1. ‘To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports.’
The WNBA was plunged into another scandal on Saturday when a bloodied Cunningham was floored in a brutal clash with DiJonai Carrington, who later appeared to suggest her rival had benefited from ‘white privilege.’
Toward the end of the first quarter of Indiana’s game against the Chicago Sky, Cunningham drove towards the basket, only to be struck in the face by Carrington’s arm and sent crashing to the floor.
The Sky star was assessed a flagrant 2 and ejected from the game, with both Cunningham and her teammate Caitlin Clark seen waving as Carrington headed to the locker room.
Cameras also caught Cunningham smiling and clapping the officials’ decision but a few minutes earlier, she had reacted furiously to the foul. Footage from courtside appeared to show Cunningham calling her rival a ‘dumb a** b****’ and shouting: ‘Why the f*** would you do that?’
The 29-year-old immediately climbed to her feet and attempted to confront Carrington, only for teammates and staff to drag her away.
Following her ejection, Carrington posted on social media from the locker room. ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever,’ she wrote.
