The WNBA has criticized those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league. In a statement, the league said there are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and denounced the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.

League Statement

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. Two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, recently declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

The WNBA has never had a transgender woman on a roster, although there have been players who were assigned female at birth and later came out as transgender or nonbinary. The league’s anti-hate committee, formed last year to deal with hateful and abusive online comments, met virtually to discuss a variety of topics, including social media vitriol and transgender athletes.

Player Reactions

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. However, others, like Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham, have voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports.

Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.