New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart has called on the WNBA to safeguard its inclusive nature as a contentious debate surrounding transgender athlete eligibility continues to spark demonstrations at league games. Stewart expressed a desire for the league to maintain its welcoming environment, describing inclusivity as a core strength that should be protected.
"The inclusivity [of the league] is the big thing for me," Stewart said. "I don’t want to turn anyone away at the door because that’s not right either. But I know for a fact that people have safe space here when they come to these games, and that’s something that… is really precious, and you have to hold on to and make sure that doesn’t change."
The controversy gained significant traction following comments made by Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham, who stated she wants "to protect … young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men." This remark has led to organized rallies supporting Cunningham's stance outside WNBA arenas, alongside counterprotests advocating for transgender inclusion.
Stewart acknowledged that the presence of competing demonstrations highlights the WNBA's platform. "Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has,” she said. “And the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have."
Recent developments have seen former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announce intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, citing the league's unclear stance on transgender athlete participation. The WNBA has formed an anti-hate task force but has not yet established a definitive policy on transgender eligibility. The league previously issued a statement asserting, "There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."
Stewart suggested that a clearer policy could help mitigate controversy. "Of course, if the league kind of had the rules set in place on inclusivity, it would kind of make it a cleaner picture for everyone else,” she said, deferring to the WNBA and its task force for policy development.
The WNBA has a history of being more vocal on social justice and equality issues compared to other major professional sports leagues. Stewart referred to this collective voice as the league's "superpower."
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," Stewart stated. "This league is incredibly inclusive, in what we continue to fight for and stand up against. So we don’t want to take that platform away. We just want to make sure that everyone is still educated and knowing that like the things that brought this league together between the fight and the grit and like the camaraderie, we can’t let that take us apart by outside hate."
Stewart, identifying as an ally of the transgender community, emphasized the importance of allowing for disagreement without fostering division within the league. "There’s so many different ways to be,” she said. “And you see there’s so many different personalities and people in our league, and who they love and what they stand for, and all these different types of things. And that doesn’t have to mean that we have to pick one.”
She stressed that preserving room for diverse perspectives is crucial as the WNBA experiences a period of increased visibility.