Stephen A. Smith says there is 'simple' solution to WNBA trans firestorm
Stephen A. Smith says there is 'simple' solution to WNBA trans firestorm
Joshua Mbu Tue, August 11, 2026 at 5:17 PM UTC
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Stephen A. Smith has slammed the WNBA over its handling of the transgender athlete firestorm -Credit:Getty
ESPN sports personality Stephen A. Smith has slammed the WNBA over its handling of the ongoing transgender athlete firestorm and offered a “simple” solution to bring an end to the drama.
The WNBA has spent a couple of weeks wrapped up in a trans athlete firestorm sparked by the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham. The 29-year-old guard stated her belief in an old ESPN interview that transgender women should not be allowed to compete in women’s and girls’ sports.
Cunningham doubled down long after, sparking a visceral reaction among some and reigniting a national debate that became one of the cornerstones of President Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign. Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keato was fined and suspended by the WNBA after allegedly berating two teenage girls supporting Cunningham at a game against the Fever. It comes as DiJonai Carrington said "it might happen again" while explaining the ugly Cunningham incident.
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Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, a highly respected figure in women’s basketball, also thrust herself into the limelight after wearing a “Trans Kids Belong” T-shirt during her team’s game against Cunningham and the Fever. Cunningham received some significant high-profile support from President Trump’s administration, in particular.
Vice President J.D. Vance praised Cunningham for staying true to her convictions despite the broader reaction it may provoke. Two former first-round NBA Draft picks then declared for the WNBA Draft, claiming to have found a potential loophole in the league’s wording.
Enes Kanter and Royce White have both declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, claiming eligibility for the draft process due to what they say is a lack of precision in defining what a woman is. The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”
Some believe that self-identification is enough. That would mean that a biological male at birth could identify as a woman. The league’s rules refuse to dig in deeper on the criteria an individual would need to meet to become eligible as a woman.
Smith insists the WNBA should follow biology -Credit:Getty Images
The WNBA will now put together a task force to discuss transgender athlete participation. Now, ESPN star Smith says there’s a “simple” solution to the WNBA’s growing political drama. Smith asserted that the WNBA should follow the biology.
“The current WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement says only players who are women are eligible, but it does not further define women or specify criteria involving gender identity, sex assigned at birth, hormone levels, or physical characteristics,” he said on his SiriusXM show.
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“It also does not say that self-identification alone automatically makes a player eligible. So because that's open for debate, it required a response from WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert, who sent a memo to teams last Friday saying the issue would be discussed by a task force of team president and general managers.
“The WNBA separately defended inclusion and condemned hate while saying the union quote will not be used as political pause. Here's Stephen A talking. It's too damn late.
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“If your rules were more finite and clear, you wouldn't have to have a meeting of team presidents and general managers. You're the commissioner, you should already know.
“We literally are living in a where there has to be a debate involving a collective bargaining agreement that explicitly states that the league is for women. Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.
“So one can easily surmise, ‘Okay, you're a woman that makes you eligible. If you're not a woman, you're not eligible.’ It's simple and plain. What's the complication?”
After the firestorm, Cunningham expressed her desire to refocus on the Fever’s 2026 WNBA campaign. However, it didn’t take long for the guard to be wrapped up in another scandal. The Chicago Sky's Carrington was assessed a flagrant 2 and ejected Saturday after a hard foul across the face and neck of Cunningham.
Sophie Cunningham and DiJonai Carrington were involved in a heated on-court incident recently -Credit:Getty Images
Carrington returned to the Sky locker room and went on social media, saying, “White privilege,” while tagging the Fever franchise.
The Sky player returned to social media on Monday to claim that people were misrepresenting what she had said, only to be accused of gaslighting because of the timing of her comments.
Fever star Caitlin Clark also received a technical in the same game, and due to an accumulation, would have missed the Fever’s next game — only for the WNBA to immediately reverse the decision following outrage and a swift review.
Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly was brutally put in her place after calling Clark a "coward."
Source: “AOL Sports”
