Caitlyn Jenner is having her say in the ongoing transgender athlete conversations that have been flooding the WNBA as of late.
The 76-year-old, who transitioned in 2015 and is a former Olympic gold medalist, has thrown her support behind the two former NBA players — Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White — who have both claimed to be interested in entering the WNBA draft in 2027 in an effort to test the league’s policies.
“They’re showing the hypocrisy of what’s going on out there in the WNBA,” Jenner told Fox News of Kanter and White. “The WNBA had their meetings on this issue and Cathy (Engelbert), the head, says, ‘We talked about the trans issue but we just haven’t come up with a conclusion at this point. We will continue the conversation.’ Cathy, XX, you’re in. XY you’re out. It’s that simple.
“And both these guys, I think, are doing a good job just to show the WNBA the hypocrisy that’s going on here. We have to protect women’s sports … I want to protect women’s sports. Title IX was one of the greatest legislations for women’s equality – that happened to be in sports.”
The growing debate around the league was sparked by an ESPN interview with Sophie Cunningham where the Fever player explained she is out to “protect young girls” against “biological men.”
Cunningham went on to double down on her take, which sparked anti-trans athlete rallies in support of the 29-year-old at arenas she was playing at.
Last week, Freedom posted a video of him signing his name to a document that asks the WNBA to accept his “decision to enter the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft.”
He later posted a workout video with a caption: “Let ‘The Transition’ to the @WNBA begin. Rules Are Rules! #LetFreedomPlay.”
White, a Republican candidate for US Senate who played three games and never scored in his NBA career, announced his plans to declare soon after.
“I’m transgender. I’m a woman… I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of… professional basketball,” he told Fox News.
Days later, the WNBA had an anti-hate task force meeting that consisted of general managers and presidents. It found “no immediate eligibility matters affecting” the league.
“We strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others,” a spokesperson for the league added.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert previously said in a memo that regarding trans-athlete participation, the league will “always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league. Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained.”
