Stephen A. Smith, host for ESPN, contends that the WNBA has itself to blame for the political firestorm surrounding issues like transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Smith stated on his YouTube show that the league office failed to establish clear rules and regulations, creating an environment where political opponents could exploit the situation. He asserted that the WNBA "left the door open" for conservatives to politicize these debates.
Smith specifically pointed to the WNBA's lack of defined guidelines regarding biological males participating in women's sports as a key reason for the increased scrutiny. "You’ve got to have rules and regulations," Smith said. "You’ve got to have law. You’ve got to have order. You can’t have this."
While acknowledging that "the right is maneuvering its way through the terrain and politicizing this issue," Smith emphasized that this does not absolve the league. He cited former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, who have declared themselves eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft to challenge the league's gender-eligibility rules. "It doesn’t negate the fact that the WNBA left the door open for it to happen. They have dropped the ball," Smith stated, directing his criticism at the league office rather than the players.
The ESPN host also referenced Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has faced criticism for her public statements on protecting women's sports. Smith questioned whether Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier would have publicly supported Cunningham if her views aligned with liberal perspectives on the issue. "I wonder if he would have said that if it was somebody other than Sophie Cunningham, who obviously has made a name for herself speaking up about the issues that she has spoken about as it pertains to protecting girls in competitive sports, which, by the way, I support her position on," Smith commented.
Ultimately, Smith urged the WNBA to take decisive action rather than lamenting the politicization of its issues. "But the time has come for folks to stop whining about how stuff is being politicized and do something about it so it can’t be politicized," he advised. "Do something or suck it up! Do something or suck it up. You don’t have a choice other than those two."
Smith concluded with a warning that as long as the WNBA presents what critics perceive as double standards, those criticisms will continue. "You’ve got to take a stand at some point, because folks are coming," he said. "Because it’s an opportunity to point out flagrant hypocrisies, and they’re not going to pass it up, no matter what folks say."