Debate over trans athletes overtakes WNBA
League’s collision with U.S. culture wars unsurprising given rise in popularity, experts say
The WNBA has been on a meteoric rise the last few years.
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WNBA → overtake → rise
It's so popular it just signed media rights deals worth $3.1 billion US.
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it → sign → deals
But with that explosion in popularity and cultural cache has come the projection of larger culture war issues onto the league.
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projection → come → league
It started earlier this month, when Indiana Fever sharpshooter Sophie Cunningham ignited an online firestorm after an ESPN profile quoted her voicing support for barring transgender girls and women from women's sports.
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profile → start → sports
"I think that I am here to extend love.
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I → think → love
But I also think, with that love is truth, being honest.
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truth → think → love
And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men," Cunningham said.
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Cunningham → want → men
The issue — which has been a major point of contention in the U.S. for more than a year now after President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing trans people from participating in women's or girls' sporting events — remained a focal point during Tuesday's matchup between the Fever and Seattle Storm.
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Trump → sign → Fever
Poilievre backs J.K. Rowling's support for Olympic ban of transgender women from women's sports
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Poilievre → back → sports
Breaking down the IOC policy banning transgender women from female Olympic events
Rally outside game renews controversy
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Rally → break → controversy
Outside the arena, there was a small rally in support of Cunningham's comments and pushing for a proposal currently on the ballot in the state of Washington that would bar transgender students from competing in girls' athletics at school (the Supreme Court upheld similar laws in Idaho and West Virginia last month).
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Court → be → Idaho
Inside the arena, a Storm player wore a trans rights shirt ahead of playing.
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player → wear → shirt
Cunningham was booed throughout the game, according to ESPN.
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Cunningham → boo → ESPN
And the co-owner of the Storm, Celeste Keaton, got suspended for five home games for allegedly cursing out two fans wearing t-shirts with XX and XY chromosomes in support of Cunningham.
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owner → suspend → Cunningham
The Storm apologized for Keaton's comments and said in a statement: "Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect."
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fan → apologize → respect
Cunningham weighed in as well, posting on social media: "Truly embarrassing of the co-owner.
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Cunningham → weigh → owner
Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is."
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she → show → leader
She also wrote, "I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY.
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I → write → EVERYBODY
You can disagree and still be kind."
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You → disagree → ?
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The events at the Tuesday game and Cunningham's initial comments have been fodder on Fox News.
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events → intensify → News
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, saying it was "astonishing" to see the backlash Cunningham was receiving from "Democrats and left-wing figures across the country."
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Cunningham → weigh → country
"Men should not be playing in women's sports.
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Men → play → sports
It's completely ludicrous that anyone could support that.
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anyone → support → that
In the lead up to the 2024 election Trump ran an ad attacking Kamala Harris's support for gender-affirming care for trans people.
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Trump → run → people
The campaign focused on NFL and college football.
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campaign → focus → NFL
"I think anything political from an athlete right now, particularly around race, around transgender issues, it's going to become a lightning rod right now," said Molly Yanity, the director of the sports media and communication program at the University of Rhode Island.
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Yanity → think → Island
She said Cunningham is particularly high profile and on social media, including Reddit, has earned the nickname "MAGA Barbie" — fair or not.
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Cunningham → say → nickname
"[Cunningham] hasn't really come out with any, let's say, progressive, kind of politics.
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's → come → politics
So I think that the absence of her saying anything opens the door to assumptions that she is on the other side of that."
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While the Indiana Fever came out saying neither the organization nor Cunningham had any knowledge of the demonstration at the arena Tuesday, Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic who frequently speaks about trans rights, sees the WNBA's suspension of the Storm's co-owner as a kind of green light for protesters to keep bringing politics to the sport.
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protesters → think → sport
"They're saying they're there to support Sophie, but what they're really there to do is support a transphobic message," she said.
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she → say → message
"They're intentionally trying to go to these events to get reactions to film and create content and further this controversy and bring attention.
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They → try → attention
"
Not WNBA's first brush with controversy
This isn't the first time the WNBA has found itself at the nexus of American culture wars.
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said she had received death threats and been called racial slurs for making contact with star player Caitlin Clark's throat during a game in June.
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she → find → June
Republican lawmakers have recently fuelled the controversy by writing a letter in early July saying they were concerned by reports that "attacks against Clark may be racially motivated."
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attacks → fuel → Clark
Yanity thinks a lot of the controversy is being drummed up by fans, not the players.
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lot → think → fans
"It has become a very, very toxic place where threats of violence have been made against specifically the Black players."
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threats → become → players
The league has faced criticism that they are not doing enough to protect players from the online onslaught.
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they → face → onslaught
Last week, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert called the online abuse "unacceptable," saying "The racism, the misogyny, the homophobia, the harassment, and threats directed to our players, has no place in sport or anywhere else."
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racism → call → sport
The WNBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBC.
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WNBA → respond → CBC
Ultimately, said Yanity, this is a league that has seen explosive growth over the last several years.
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that → say → years
"It used to be that you'd have to search high and low to find the games.
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you → use → games
…and 1 more, not listed.
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