The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) has released a statement asserting it "will not be used as political pawns" amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding transgender athletes in sports. The union emphasized its commitment to diversity and inclusion, a stance that comes after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reignited the debate with her comments.
The WNBPA's statement, released Friday, proclaimed, "We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion." It continued, "Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change. Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns."
While the statement did not directly name Cunningham, her recent remarks on transgender athletes in women's sports have drawn significant attention and controversy. Cunningham stated in an interview in late July, "I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men." She also clarified that she "never once said that" she hates transgender athletes, but rather that she is being honest about her opinions.
Cunningham's comments were amplified by political figures, including the Department of Education and former President Donald Trump. Vice President J.D. Vance also publicly encouraged Cunningham to continue expressing her beliefs on Fox News.
Further adding to the discourse, Cunningham recently posed for a photo with Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and prominent activist against the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. Former U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe commented on Cunningham's actions, stating on her podcast, "I don’t know Sophie, so I can only project what I see about her beliefs based on her actions. And seeing a picture of her with Riley Gaines after the game told me everything I need to know about what’s happening."
Other figures within the WNBA have responded to Cunningham's comments. Storm center Stefanie Dolson wore a "trans rights are human rights" shirt during a game against the Fever in late July. Additionally, Gabby Williams of the Valkyries expressed support for transgender athletes competing in the league, stating, "I think it’s trans, trans rights, right now, is our new battle. We see trans people’s rights being stripped away from them; there’s a lot of discourse around trans athletes and what they can compete in."