The league that empowered women is facing a question it is forbidden to ask
The WNBA has made significant progress over the last two years but now finds itself at the center of political discourse in the U.S. The debate over the inclusion of transgender women in basketball has sparked a massive storm and created broad discussion in other sports. The upcoming Los Angeles Olympics will serve as a major test for the league.
The WNBA has become the most political league in the United States, and perhaps in the world, with endless discussions about women's rights, social conditions, and a variety of questions that usually receive embarrassing silence, whether from professional sources or from the players, who tend to avoid topics they view as illegitimate.
The league is in a stage of tremendous growth: this year two new teams were added, in Toronto and Portland, and it is expected to expand further by 2030 with teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Each new team is required to pay an entry fee of 250 million dollars. At the last All-Star game, 19,783 fans were present – an all-time record for the league, surpassing the attendance at this year's NBA All-Star game.
Last March, a new collective agreement was signed, increasing revenue sharing between the league and the players from 9% to 20%, while supermax contracts jumped from 249,000 dollars to 1.4 million dollars. This significant increase calmed justified claims regarding low revenue sharing, which previously pushed players to compete in Europe during the off-season.
Troubles from within
The discourse around transgender people is shaking the sports industry, raising fundamental questions regarding the safety of female athletes and equality. Sophie Cunningham, a teammate of WNBA star Caitlin Clark, became a prominent voice when she shared her position in an interview with ESPN: "I want to protect girls in the locker room, or girls in sports, who don't have to deal with biological men." Her words sparked a storm, to which she clarified: "I think it's a matter of common sense... It's very important to protect children."
During a game between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt with the inscription "Trans kids belong." Reeve stated: "We both understand that we have platforms, and we both talked about the desire to educate... There are things where we disagree." Cunningham received boos from the crowd every time she touched the ball.
ESPN broadcaster Stephen A. Smith criticized Reeve: "You can support people's rights and also believe that biological men should not compete in women's sports. These two things are not contradictory. It is about protecting women, and I wonder why a WNBA coach chose to involve herself in a controversy that could harm the league she is supposed to represent."
League commissioner Cathy Engelbert did not intervene, addressing only the treatment of players online: "Racism, misogyny, homophobia, harassment, and threats directed at our players have no place in sports or anywhere else." Reports suggest her future role is in doubt ahead of her contract expiration in 2026.
An inter-sport event
Starting in July, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) began requiring a genetic test to detect the SRY gene. Top tennis player Aryna Sabalenka supported the move: "Biologically men are much stronger than women, so I feel it wouldn't be really fair for a woman to compete against a biological man." Coco Gauff agreed with the need for fairness but expressed reservations about attacks on the trans community.
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be a huge test, where female athletes will be required for the first time to perform an SRY test. President Donald Trump expressed support for the move, citing a Supreme Court ruling that allows states to reserve women's sports competitions for biological women only.
Parallel to this, the name of Julie Taret, a 34-year-old transgender woman starring in the French second division, has emerged. Conservative voices on Twitter are calling for WNBA teams to sign her, which would test the industry's support for transgender inclusion. Taret noted: "If they approach me, I won't refuse, but you have to be realistic: I'm old, and there are players much better than me."
The WNBA is a great success story. The league has finally reached a situation where viewership is increasing, it has financial independence, and it features players who serve as inspiration to millions. However, inclusion in a league trying to empower women might come at the expense of the very players working to strengthen women's basketball. It is a purely political protest that does not serve the image of the league and could put players in trouble, as seen in the NCAA with Lia Thomas or the Olympics with Imane Khelif. Women's dreams must not be broken again.
