Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma believes the WNBA is doing “a disservice” to female basketball players by not taking a clear stance on the participation of transgender athletes in the league.
“Thirty years of women fighting to get this league built, and the question on the table this week is what a woman is,” Kuzma wrote on X.
“Needing a committee to find that answer is a disservice to every girl who was told this league was for her,” added the 2020 NBA champion.
Kuzma was referring to a recent memo from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who announced a task force of team presidents and front-office executives to address transgender athlete participation in the league.
WNBA – Transgender Controversy
In said memo, Engelbert clarified that the league would address its transgender eligibility policy after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared for the 2027 WNBA draft, stating they identify as women.
“I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention,” Engelbert wrote in the memo.
“I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism.”
Although the WNBA’s CBA stipulates that only women are eligible to play, it fails to specify criteria regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Kanter and White capitalized on this gray area by declaring themselves women to gain eligibility.
‘A Complex and Nuanced Topic’
Engelbert admitted that she and the WNBA were dealing with a sensitive topic.
“We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead,” Engelbert wrote in the memo.
“We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.”
The ongoing WNBA – transgender controversy picked up steam after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham told ESPN last month that she wasn’t in favor of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she said. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. 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.”
Subsequently, several WNBA players and coaches voiced their support for trans athletes, including Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.
“We need to protect trans kids,” Reeve said on August 1, via ESPN. “To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports.”
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