Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete who later came out as transgender, has entered the heated debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA.
The women’s basketball league has found itself at the center of a growing controversy after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said she believed young girls should be “protected” from competing against “biological men.”
Cunningham’s remarks quickly triggered a wider backlash across the sport, with reactions split between condemnation and support. Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White then added fuel to the debate by announcing, in what appeared to be a protest move, that they considered themselves eligible for the WNBA draft.
Jenner, who publicly transitioned in 2015, has now voiced support for the two former NBA players while criticizing the WNBA amid the ongoing transgender athlete dispute.
“XX are in, XY are out. It’s that simple,” Jenner told Fox News this week. “And I think they’re doing a good job just to show the WNBA how…the hypocrisy is going on here. We have to protect women’s sports. I’ve been coming on this show for years and years. I want to protect women’s sports.”
Jenner became one of America’s most recognizable sports figures after winning the decathlon gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, when she was competing as Bruce Jenner.
Caitlyn Jenner has spoken out on the transgender athlete debate currently surrounding the WNBA
The WNBA controversy intensified after Sophie Cunningham commented on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports
She came out as transgender and transitioned in 2015, yet has since supported calls to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports.
The WNBA has been engulfed by controversy over transgender athletes in recent weeks, after Indiana Fever star Cunningham said she wants to ‘protect young girls’ from ‘biological men.’
Freedom, who played in the NBA for 11 seasons and stands at 6ft 10in, announced his plans to declare for the WNBA Draft earlier this month amid the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athlete involvement in sports.
The former hoops star, who allegedly sent a provocative letter to WNBA commissioner, has sparked widespread criticism with his divisive decision.
Meanwhile, since his statement of intent, another former NBA star, White, has followed suit, also declaring for the WNBA Draft.
The 35-year-old, who only played three games in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, told Fox News Digital that he is now transgender and wants to join the likes of Clark and Cunningham on the court next season.
White later doubled down by posting a picture of himself wearing a wig on social media.
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WNBA general managers and presidents met on Wednesday as part of an anti-hate task force to discuss the subject of athlete eligibility amid the transgender debate.
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’
WNBA chiefs, including commissioner Cathy Engelbert, met on Wednesday to discuss the subject of transgender athletes in the league
Despite the uproar, the powers-that-be determined that there were no issues with its eligibility criteria, suggesting that no changes would be made.
The league announced following the meeting that it had ruled that there were ‘no immediate eligibility matters affecting’ the WNBA at this time.
WNBA chiefs also took the chance to address the recent storm surrounding the league, hitting out at ‘bad-faith efforts’ to ‘marginalize others.’
‘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,’ a spokesman for the league said in a statement, via The New York Post.
‘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.
‘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.’
Currently, 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.
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 August 1. ‘To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports.’
