Katie Gornall

A debate over transgender participation in the WNBA intensified after Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham said women’s sports should be protected from transgender women, prompting political support, protests and criticism. Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White then announced plans to enter the WNBA Draft, highlighting the league’s broad collective bargaining language stating that only women are eligible. The WNBA and players’ association have stressed fair competition, inclusion and respectful debate, while the league faces pressure to clarify its policy. The controversy comes amid increasingly restrictive transgender eligibility rules across other sports and US schools.