WNBA leadership set to meet on rising tensions surrounding trans athletes

The GIST: In the 30 years since the WNBA was founded, exactly zero transgender women have played in the league. And yet, the conversation surrounding trans athletes is reaching dangerous levels as the attempts to turn this tiny, vulnerable group of people into a supposed threat to women’s sports increase each day.

• This weekend, The Athletic obtained a copy of a mildly-worded memo from commissioner Cathy Engelbert laying out how WNBA leadership should approach the topic and her plans to discuss the matter further at a meeting with presidents and general managers this week. Feels underwhelming.

The background: The subject has gone from a barely-covered talking point to national controversy after Indiana Fever bench player Sophie Cunningham told ESPN in late July that a trans athlete ban would be “common sense” to protect young girls in sports. Then, a small number of WNBA fans organized an anti-trans rally before the Fever played the Seattle Storm on July 28th.

• The rally was a flop, but Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was fined and suspended five games after she confronted two teenaged Fever fans wearing t-shirts with anti-trans rhetoric.

• After receiving significant backlash and refusing to comment on her involvement, Cunningham slightly changed her tune saying there is a “safe space and love for everybody,” including trans people, but the damage was done.

The details: The current WNBA rulebook does not have an explicit policy regarding transgender participation. In the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed in March 2026, it says only women are allowed to play, but doesn’t it define that in any legal or biological ways.

• Over the weekend, two former NBA players, one who is an aspiring political influencer and another who played nine (!!!) total minutes in his NBA career posted that they are declaring for the next WNBA Draft — a harmful publicity stunt attempting to turn the CBA’s eligibility language into a joke. Sigh.

Looking ahead: Now we all have to wait and see how Engelbert — who has been decidedly unpopular among players and often booed by fans — will respond. Still, she has the chance to address the controversy and show what the W really stands for in these upcoming meetings. Watch this space.