WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert strongly criticized those attempting to "sow divisiveness," denouncing their efforts as the league faces heated debates over the inclusion of transgender athletes.
"People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness," Engelbert said Thursday, ahead of the Indiana Fever’s 91-85 loss to the Dallas Wings, according to the Associated Press.
"We're being made the center of a political football by individuals who have never watched the WNBA, never written about it, or reported on it," Engelbert said. "These voices are using our league as a platform for their own agendas, rather than supporting our athletes and the growth of women's sports."
Engelbert spoke publicly for the first time since the league’s official
statement on Aug. 12, which condemned attempts to turn the conversation of transgender athletes in the WNBA into a divisive issue.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, the agreement lacks specific language addressing gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
Although no transgender women play in the WNBA, the league has become a lightning rod for the topic following comments made by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham in an ESPN story. Cunninghamg then doubled down, saying young girls playing sports “shouldn't have to go against biological men.”
Controversy has followed. A Seattle Storm co-owner was suspended for five home games for comments she made to fans of Cunningham. On Aug. 16, a security guard at an Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever game asked two fans to cover up their XX-XY shirts.
Cunningham's comments on transgender athlete participation came after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld states' right to ban transgender girls and women from participation in women's sports. Legislation passed in 27 states barring transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports is aimed at a small portion of the population — 1% of people aged 13 and over in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to a 2025 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law.
The Human Rights Campaign reported in 2023 that 19% of transgender youth nationwide were playing sports, including fewer than 1,300 who played sports in school. In 2024, NCAA president Charlie Baker testified to the Senate that he knows of fewer than 10 transgender students out of 510,000 college athletes.
USA TODAY reporters Meghan L. Hall and Callie Fin contributed to the report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert condemns those trying to 'sow divisiveness'
