Published: 04:43 BST, 13 August 2026 | Updated: 06:28 BST, 13 August 2026
The WNBA called for an end to the 'vitriol' that has been directed at its players this season as it announced its stance on transgender eligibility following a meeting between league honchos to address the recent storm.
The WNBA has been engulfed by controversy over transgender athletes in recent weeks, after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham said she wants to 'protect young girls' from 'biological men.'
Cunningham's stance sparked uproar around the league, drawing both criticism and support alike. Most recently, two former NBA stars declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft in an apparent protest of the league's eligibility.
League general managers and presidents met on Wednesday as part of an anti-hate task force to discuss the subject of athlete eligibility amid the transgender debate.
Despite the recent uproar over transgender athletes, the league's powers-that-be determined that there were no issues with its current eligibility criteria, suggesting that no immediate changes would be made.
The league announced following the meeting that it had ruled that there were 'no immediate eligibility matters affecting' the WNBA at this time.
WNBA chiefs met on Wednesday to discuss the subject of transgender athletes in the league
The WNBA has been engulfed by controversy after Sophie Cunningham's comments
WNBA chiefs also took the chance to address the recent storm surrounding the league, hitting out at 'bad-faith efforts' to 'marginalize others.'
'Today's meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online,' a spokesperson for the league said in a statement, via The New York Post.
'We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league.
'There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.'
The meeting and subsequent statement come after the league was thrust into uproar once again this season, most recently over the subject of transgender athletes' eligibility.
The league's collective bargaining agreement currently states that 'only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,' but it does not include any more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
