Charles Barkley, a prominent figure in basketball, has publicly voiced his dissatisfaction with the leadership of the WNBA and NBA regarding the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. Barkley stated on Michael Smerconish's Sirius XM radio show that he is “disappointed” in WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for what he perceives as a failure to establish a clear policy.
Barkley articulated his stance by saying, “I’ve always supported the gay and transgender community, but under no circumstances do I think men should play against women. Zero.” He believes that Engelbert and Silver should have proactively set a definitive line on the matter, rather than allowing it to become a subject of widespread public debate, which he characterized as being "turned over to the internet and every fool, idiot, and jackass to have an opinion on."
Barkley suggested that the commissioners should have issued a clear statement such as, “There’s no transgender people going to play in the WNBA. If you don’t like it, kick rocks. And we’re not going to discuss it anymore.” He argued that such a stance would have prevented the controversy from overshadowing positive developments in the league, including player gains from a new collective bargaining agreement, league expansion, and increased game schedules.
The comments come in the wake of a protest by former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom at a WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever. Freedom wore a shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female,” and reportedly engaged in a verbal altercation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Freedom had previously declared for the 2027 WNBA draft.
According to league sources, both Freedom and former NBA player Royce White, who also declared for the WNBA draft, will not be eligible to play in the WNBA. The league's current collective bargaining agreement, ratified in March, states in Article XIII, Section 1(a): “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” This section does not include language pertaining to gender identity or gender assigned at birth.
No transgender woman has publicly played in the WNBA to date. The debate has intensified in recent weeks, notably after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed support for barring transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports in an ESPN article published in July.