The WNBA’s increasingly heated debate over transgender athletes has intensified after Golden State Valkyries standout Gabby Williams said she would have no hesitation welcoming a trans player into the league — including on her own roster.
The issue has drawn growing attention in recent weeks, with demonstrations from supporters on both sides. The latest wave of reaction followed comments from Sophie Cunningham, who told ESPN that young girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” when competing in sports.
Cunningham has since made several attempts to calm the backlash, but the controversy has only widened into a politically charged national talking point. Williams has now become the first active WNBA player to publicly state her position on the possibility of a transgender player joining the league.
“I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team, anytime,” Williams said. “I don’t think it’s a problem in the world.”
Williams also pointed to Layshia Clarendon, the WNBA’s first openly non-binary player. Clarendon, who was assigned female at birth, came out as non-binary in 2020 and retired in 2024 after an 11-year career in the league.
Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams said she would welcome a transgender athlete in the WNBA
Williams has described transgender rights as an important issue and believes trans people are being pushed to the margins
Williams cited Layshia Clarendon, the WNBA’s first openly non-binary player, who came out in 2020 after being assigned female at birth and later retired in 2024
It’s unclear if Williams was speaking to a group of reporters or a single outlet, but video of the interview containing the logo for sports website, The Local W, did circulate online.
On social media, fans were quick to react to Williams’ comments, with one writing: ‘Watching the WNBA implode in real time. Priceless.’
Another added: ‘She will be singing a different tune if they took her spot and she was pushed to the bench.’
Others, though, backed Williams to claim: ‘Good for her, love to hear it. How do we preach inclusivity in sports yet be trans and homophobic?’
Meanwhile, back in Indianapolis, Cunningham and the Indiana Fever received a friendly welcome back home as they fell to the visiting Las Vegas in overtime following their highly contentious road trip.
A lone protester outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday made his argument in support of Cunningham’s opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports. Inside, the signs carried messages such as ‘I want to play like Sophie’ and ‘Thank you for standing up for girls, Sophie!’
That wasn’t the reception Cunningham got last week in Seattle, Portland or Minnesota, where coach Cheryl Reeve wore a T-shirt during Sunday’s game with the message ‘Trans kids belong.’
The Fever are expected to be greeted with another rally when they travel to Chicago on Saturday because Cunningham has not backed off her stance despite the criticism.
Political activist Riley Gaines claimed that a WNBA staffer told her to put down her sign which threw support behind star Sophie Cunningham amid the ongoing trans athlete debate
People hold signs after comments made by Sophie Cunningham on transgender athletes before a WNBA basketball game between the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever
A protestor speaks in favor of trans athletes amid the nationwide debate over the issue
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‘I was asked a question and that’s simply what it was. I wasn’t trying to make a statement. I was trying to clear the air, and I did that, back in February, so it is what it is,’ she said Wednesday at practice.
‘We’re in the middle of the season, so I’m going to keep it at that. Our team is good, my teammates are good, our locker room is great.’
Cunningham has been at the center of a bitter trans debate over the past week after comments she made to ESPN that young girls ‘shouldn’t have to go against biological men’ when playing sports.
The league does not have any transgender players who were assigned male at birth, nor have there ever been any such players in the WNBA. And while a few cases of transgender athletes at the NCAA level have made national news, trans student athletes are rare in the extreme.
In 2024, NCAA president Charlie Baker estimated there were fewer than 10 competing at the time.
