After 11 years as a sports columnist at The Seattle Times, Matt Calkins has resigned from the paper, saying editors refused to publish a column arguing that opposing biological males competing in women’s sports does not make someone “transphobic.”
The columnist <a href="https://x.com/Matt_Calkins/status/2090483833057751064">announced</a> his resignation Thursday, saying the decision was entirely his own but came after the newspaper declined to run his piece on the debate over biological males competing in women’s sports.
“The impetus was the Times declining to run a column I wrote from the perspective of two female student athletes who were opposed to competing against biological males,” Calkins wrote. “It was one of several pieces of mine that had been spiked, and I no longer felt like I could properly do my job as a columnist.”
The decision came after Calkins interviewed 16-year-old Ahnaleigh Wilson, a student-athlete who had lost to a biological male in a track race and attended a matchup between the Indiana Fever and the  Seattle Storm carrying a sign reading, “Thank You, Sophie For Speaking Up For Girls!” Wilson’s experience at that game became the catalyst for Calkins’ unpublished column.
During the game, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-co-owner-accused-of-cursing-out-teen-girls-over-xx-xy-shirts">confronted</a> Wilson and another teenage girl who were supporting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly opposed biological males competing in women’s sports. 
Keaton allegedly called the girls “f***ing insane” and told Wilson, “I hope Jesus can forgive you,” leaving the teenager in tears. The WNBA subsequently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-co-owners-tirade-at-sophie-cunningham-fans-ends-in-fallout">suspended</a> Keaton from attending five home games and fined her over the incident.
For Calkins, the episode raised a question he believed deserved to be addressed by a sports columnist: Why should a teenage girl who believes women’s sports should remain female-only automatically be treated as hateful or bigoted?
Wilson told Calkins that she did not hate transgender people and simply believed girls should have their own sports. Another Washington student-athlete, Frances Staudt, told him she had faced verbal abuse at school after refusing to play against a biological male.
Calkins ultimately published the rejected column on his Substack under the title, “<a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-211906384">Agreeing with Sophie Cunningham’s stance doesn’t make you transphobic.</a>”
“Some people saw bigotry. I saw bravery,” Calkins wrote of Wilson. “I saw a teenage girl speaking up on an issue that so many adults shy away from.”
The column argued that the separation of male and female sports exists precisely because of biological differences in physical performance, and that supporting that separation does not necessarily amount to hostility toward transgender people. But the Seattle Times declined to publish it.
Calkins <a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-212028578">said</a> he initially submitted the column to his editor on July 31 and was told that editors were reviewing it. Several days later, he said, he was informed that the piece would not run because he had failed to notify his editor in advance that he was working on it.
“I didn’t buy this reasoning,” Calkins wrote. “If that were the case, the piece would have been killed on the spot, not passed through the hands of multiple editors over several days.” 
He resigned immediately afterward.
The decision was not, according to Calkins, simply about one column. He said the Times had previously spiked columns questioning whether the U.S. women’s soccer team was actually the victim of discrimination in its equal-pay lawsuit, criticizing cancel culture in sports, and defending a black high school basketball coach who urged Americans not to stereotype police following George Floyd’s death.
Calkins said the common thread was that the pieces challenged narratives that he believed a columnist should be willing to question.
 “I’ve always thought that it was a columnist’s duty to generate discussion on the most hot-button issues,” he wrote. “To avoid such topics was to leave the reader shortchanged.”
“I guess in the end, I just didn’t feel like I could do my job properly anymore,” he wrote.
Calkins acknowledged that leaving a long-established newspaper job without another position lined up was frightening. He said he has no idea what his career will look like in the coming years and joked that he could even end up working as a dental assistant.
But he said the uncertainty was preferable to self-censorship.
“To be honest, I’m scared sh—tless right now,” Calkins wrote. “But that fear beats the indignity of being muzzled.”

Indiana Fever v Seattle Storm

Sports Columnist Breaks Up With Paper Over Biological Reality

Censorship

Free Speech

Freedom of the Press

Indiana Fever

Media

Media Bias

Seattle

Seattle Storm

Sophie Cunningham

Transgender

Transgender Athletes

Women's Basketball

Women's sports

xx-xy athletics

Two WNBA coaches took aim at fans who rallied on Wednesday to protect women’s sports, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/lynx-valkyries-coaches-rip-save-womens-sports-movement-pro-trans-mob-rocks-1st-rally-non-fever-game">slamming</a> the growing &#8220;Save Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221; movement as nothing more than political noise.
Ahead of Wednesday’s showdown between the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries at the Chase Center, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve brushed off a rally supporting female athletes, labeling the movement a mere &#8220;talking point that people are buying into.&#8221; Reeve, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/espn-praises-wnba-coach-after-trans-sports-jab-at-sophie-cunningham?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=40&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=ESPN+Praises+WNBA+Coach+After+Trans+Sports+Jab+At+Sophie+Cunningham">donned</a> a &#8220;trans kids belong&#8221; shirt on the sidelines earlier this month, called for further education and insisted the issue shouldn&#8217;t be used to marginalize a community.
Not to be outdone, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase took her own swing at the rallygoers, taking to the podium to preach that there is &#8220;too much hate speech&#8221; in sports today and urging people to &#8220;lead with love.&#8221;
The coaches&#8217; pregame comments served as the backdrop for a chaotic scene outside the Chase Center, where a small group of peaceful women’s rights advocates found themselves encircled by an aggressive, chanting mob of pro-trans counter-protesters.
Family rights attorney Erin Friday told Fox News, &#8220;We were outside of this Chase Center holding signs peacefully. There were about eight to nine women, majority are lesbians, majority are Democrats or former Democrats, and the crowd came by us yelling profanities, telling us to get out.”
Arianne Gieringer, vice president of LGB Alliance USA and a lifelong Bay Area native, revealed that an aggressive protester screamed that she &#8220;didn&#8217;t belong&#8221; in the city.
Arena security stepped in to keep the peace, forcing activists to ditch their signs before heading inside to watch the Lynx beat the Valkyries 77-66.
The San Francisco circus was just the latest explosion in a wild culture war tearing through the league. Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham ruffled trans advocates’ feathers by boldly declaring that biological males have no business in female locker rooms or athletics. Cunningham’s straight-shooting stance sparked nationwide &#8220;Save Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221; rallies outside arenas from Seattle to Atlanta.
Fever head coach Stephanie White recently flew off the handle in an unhinged, expletive-laden tirade, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunninghams-coach-tells-critics-to-go-to-hell-after-quiet-reaction-to-brutal-hit?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=18&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sophie+Cunningham%E2%80%99s+Coach+Tells+Critics+To+%E2%80%98Go+To+Hell%E2%80%99+After+Quiet+Reaction+To+Brutal+Hit">telling online critics</a> to &#8220;go to hell&#8221; after being torched for failing to react when Cunningham was hard-fouled and left bleeding by Chicago’s DiJonai Carrington. Meanwhile, ESPN commentators have used live broadcasts to hype up Coach Reeve’s leftist talking points.
Despite the hostility from league leadership and screaming mobs on the street, the &#8220;Save Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221; movement isn&#8217;t backing down. With demonstrations popping up at nearly a dozen games in less than a month, fans are making it crystal clear that the real battle in the WNBA is happening far beyond the court.

MixCollage-20-Aug-2026-08-50-AM-8179

WNBA Coaches Slam ‘Save Women’s Sports’ Movement As Tensions Flare Outside Arena

Basketball

Leftists

LGBT

WNBA

A nationally growing ministry for female athletes is launching new chapters across the country this fall, countering attacks on gender integrity with formative, feminine, Christian encounters.
<a href="https://fierceathlete.org/why-fierce-2">FIERCE Athlete</a> reaches women and girls in sports through clinics, retreats, and coaching that strive for whole-person formation. The organization has had impressive growth since 2019, with reach in more than 20 states, impacting 24,000 people, and 5,200 female athletes. Several schools are launching or continuing in-house chapters this fall and engaging in mentorship programs to raise up student leaders.
Programs typically run full-day or after school in lieu of practice and are commonly attended by coaches. This year’s expansion of chapters marks significant progress in the ministry.
A “toxic world”
Female athletics has been targeted by the transgender industry with particular malice, played out on the world stage at the <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2024/08/08/olympics-boxing-fiasco-is-more-proof-men-dont-belong-in-womens-sports/">2024 Olympics</a>, and through recent<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403269732112"> threats </a>of discriminatory action by transgender men demanding entrance into professional women’s leagues. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11569523/">Mental health</a> challenges plague elite female athletes at higher rates than males. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11370166/">Violence</a> is becoming more <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/10/the-nba-is-enabling-the-wnbas-anti-white-violence/">flagrant</a>.
A former Division I soccer player and competitive rower, Samantha Kelley designed FIERCE to combat the obstacles she witnessed in women’s sports years before abuses of biological integrity became standard. Elite athletes are extremely driven, exhibiting extraordinary mental and physical capacities, and achieving insurmountable gains. They train hard, set best records, and can suffer identity loss when off the field or court.
Sidelined by a 13-month injury recovery as a freshman at the University of Connecticut, Kelley became depressed. For years she had lived and breathed success as a multi-sport high school state champion living in a legacy household. Then an encounter with Christ reshaped her understanding of authentic self and dignity as a woman.
“There’s a lot of confusion regarding identity and femininity,” Kelley said. “[FIERCE] is teaching truth because truth sets free. Your identity is not in your appearance, your body weight, or performance, but in the beauty of being designed as a woman.”
After five years as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDd9X87294">FOCUS missionary</a> and a thorough study of John Paul II’s landmark speaking series, <a href="https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/theology-of-the-body-21271">Theology of the Body</a>, Kelley was inspired to confront the “toxic world” of female athletics in a way that male-dominated leadership had failed. Developing female athletes through Christ-centered training clinics and retreats became her mission field.
Quenching a thirst
FIERCE offers an intimacy with a God who calls each by name, quenching what Kelley calls a “thirst” amongst female athletes, who too often define themselves within the confines of their sport. Breaking down barriers allows for more difficult discussions around struggles with body dysmorphia and same-sex attraction, and healing.
Kelley’s ministry is crucial, working from the ground up. In nearly half of the states, women are not protected within their sports, adding excessive external pressure where internal pressure is already high.
New York and California maintain state policy and education promoting men in women’s sports. They are two of the states where FIERCE chapters are developing a permanent presence. A New York school will continue its FIERCE chapter this school year; chapters in California, Ohio, and Tennessee are just launching.
Uniquely woman, uniquely FIERCE
The Supreme Court’s <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/court-rules-that-states-can-exclude-transgender-athletes-from-girls-and-womens-sports-teams/">June rulings</a> on states’ rights to exclude men from women’s sports were a crucial defining step, but nearly half the states still promote biological non-realities. As Kelley says, the victory still leaves a lot of work to be done, and “there are going to have to be a lot more Supreme Court cases.”
Kelley is hopeful a cultural shift reclaiming the protection of children is underway.
In a culture that has degraded women to nothing more than mislabeled men, FIERCE offers something desperately needed: a sisterhood celebrating the unique strength and beauty of women as created with a definitive purpose, and the ability to excel in God-given, female bodies.
***
Ashley Bateman is a policy writer for The Heartland Institute. Her work has been featured in The Washington Times, The Daily Caller, The New York Post, The American Thinker, the Ascension Press blog, and numerous other publications. She previously worked as an adjunct scholar for The Lexington Institute and as editor, writer, and photographer for The Warner Weekly, a publication for the American military community in Bamberg, Germany. She and her brilliant engineer/scientist husband homeschool their six children.

Portrait of female runner getting ready

FIERCE Female Athletes Are Flipping The Script On Transgender Athletes And Women’s Sports

DW Opinion

Title IX

Sunday night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, with two minutes left in overtime and the Indiana Fever locked in a nail-biter against the Atlanta Dream, a mother and her daughter were ordered to cover up.
Kasey Thomason and her daughter Annie came to support Sophie Cunningham, the Fever guard who recently said it’s common sense for girls’ sports to be for girls only. The mom-daughter pair sat close to the court to cheer for the Indiana Fever, with Kasey wearing a red, white, and blue XX-XY Athletics logo tee. Everything was fine until those final minutes of the game when a woman two rows ahead wearing a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt pointed at them, while speaking to security.
Then, the security guard pointed at Kasey and her daughter.
In a matter of minutes, they went from fans enjoying the game to problems that had to be dealt with.
Kasey and Annie were offered free “Wellness Night” tees sponsored by Emory Healthcare and asked to cover their shirts, or they would be escorted out.
They put the stadium shirts on. They wanted to see the end of the game. As soon as the official stadium tees went on, in an act of pure snitchy vindictiveness, the woman who had found their original tees offensive mouthed, “I like your shirt” in their direction.
The Fever won that night, but free expression lost.
This is not an isolated incident. It is a pattern.
It started in Seattle on July 28. Sixteen-year-old Ahnaleigh Wilson and a friend sat courtside wearing XX-XY tees and holding a simple sign thanking Sophie for speaking up for girls. Celeste Keaton, co-owner of the Seattle Storm, confronted the girls, called them “effing insane,” and left them in tears. The league later suspended Keaton for five games.
Days later in Minneapolis, Riley Gaines and I sat courtside in the same XX-XY tees from the company that I founded and lead. Riley held a small sign: “Sophie, thank you — a girl mom.” At halftime, arena security told Riley to put the sign down because, she was told, it had a player’s name on it. Meanwhile, those supporting different players and wearing shirts that read “Trans Kids Belong&#8221;—including one worn by Minneapolis Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve—faced no such restriction.
We stayed and made the sign less visible. After the incident, people in our row bought us drinks as a show of support for our work to protect girls’ sports.
The WNBA, the team leadership, the stadium brass – they want everyone to believe that the message at the games is anti-Sophie, pro-trans and that anyone who supports Cunningham is just a bigot. But in fact, the pro-woman, protect-women’s-sports message is everywhere on the ground at these games, no matter how hard the league tries to suppress it.
Atlanta was next. A mother and daughter supporting the same basic principle — women’s sports and spaces are for women — were forced to cover clothing that simply acknowledges biological reality. Interestingly, the gifted shirts came from stadium sponsor Emory Healthcare, which operates a transgender clinic. Though Georgia law currently restricts pharmaceutical and surgical interventions for minors, the institutional alignment is clear enough.
Sophie Cunningham did not set out to become a cultural flashpoint. In July, she told ESPN that she wants to protect young girls and keep their sports and locker rooms girls-only. She wasn’t making a big political pronouncement; she simply answered a question honestly. She said what she said and moved on, but notably, has not walked it back one inch, despite pressure to do so.
The response from the institutional Left has been predictable.
Celebrations in support of Cunningham have drawn moms and daughters who simply want sex-based categories and biological reality preserved. We bring balloons and cookies. Counter-protesters are aggressive and mean-spirited. They bring megaphones to try to drown us out, while calling us the worst names you can imagine.
League and arena officials treat expressions of support for fairness as the problem while treating the erasure of those categories as settled morality. Messages and t-shirts that affirm biological sex are policed by stadium security. Messages that deny it are celebrated, put on the jumbotron, and featured in the TV broadcast.
But the more they try to suppress the message, the faster it spreads. Ordinary people are no longer afraid to speak up for common sense rules. Fans who never thought of themselves as activists show up to take a stand for fair competition.
But the WNBA seems intent on manufacturing a consensus that does not exist. They have an agenda, and it isn’t women’s basketball.
The WNBA, the arenas, the broadcasters, and the corporate sponsors can keep trying to manage the narrative. They can enforce dress codes selectively and hope the controversy fades.
But it will not. Truth has a way of asserting itself. Biological reality does not care about branding partnerships or “Wellness Night.”
And the censors are never the good guys.
Our movement is not driven by hate. It is driven by the obvious: males and females are different, those differences matter in sports and private spaces, and girls deserve categories that protect their opportunities, safety, and achievements. The crazy part is that it was ever controversial to say so.
Kasey and Annie put on their stadium shirts to stay and watch the end of a close game. Then they spoke out, refusing to stay silent no matter how intense the coercion. Game on.
Women’s sports belong to women. The more they pretend otherwise, the clearer the stakes and who the good guys are. The powers that be cannot suppress this forever.
***
Jennifer Sey is the CEO of XX-XY Athletics. She is an author, filmmaker, and retired national champion gymnast.

New York Liberty v Indiana Fever

Jennifer Sey: Supporting Sophie Cunningham Is A Court-Side Crime

Stephanie Brown pulled out her phone to record her 15-year-old daughter’s wrestling match just like she had done hundreds of times before. Born and raised in Washington state, Kallie Keeler had been wrestling since she was four years old, following in the footsteps of her three older brothers, and had gotten quite good at the sport by the beginning of her sophomore season, earning the number two spot on her high school team.
Only this match was different. Stephanie recognized immediately that something was wrong with her daughter. She saw visible distress on Kallie’s face as her opponent pinned her down, heard Kallie shout out in pain, and then watched as she got up from the mat, crying. None of this was normal.
Unbeknownst to Stephanie or her daughter, Kallie had been matched with a male wrestler at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association-sponsored girls’ wrestling tournament in December 2025. While pinning Kallie to the mat, the male wrestler sexually assaulted her.
Leaving the mat, Kallie was in shock. Another team’s coach approached her and informed her that her opponent was male. Despite observing how distraught Kallie was, her own coaches walked away. They did nothing to help her.
Kallie told her mom about the egregious assault, and they both felt betrayed by what happened and by the fact that Kallie had been forced to wrestle a male opponent without their knowledge or consent. The WIAA and school officials knew Kallie’s opponent was male, hid that critical piece of information, and matched the athlete against Kallie anyway. Had Kallie known her opponent was male, she would not have taken the mat — and this sexual assault would not have happened.
Stephanie quickly reported the sexual assault in writing, with video evidence, to the coaches and school staff. But they did nothing. Despite Washington state’s mandatory 48-hour reporting law, officials ignored the incident until it became a national news story weeks later. Even now, they refuse to take it seriously — to deal with the assault, to reserve girls’ sports for girls, or even to give parents the necessary notice so they can keep their daughters safe. In late July, prosecutors finally decided to charge Kallie’s principal and athletic director with a gross misdemeanor for not reporting the incident in a timely manner, but beyond the Trump administration&#8217;s pending federal Title IX investigation, no official has been held accountable for what happened to Kallie on the mat.
That is why Kallie and Stephanie had no choice but to sue state officials. Alliance Defending Freedom, where I serve as senior counsel, filed <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/high-school-female-athlete-sues-after-unknowingly-wrestling-male-who-sexually-assaulted-her-during-match/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped">a lawsuit</a> on their behalf to seek justice for a young girl who simply loves wrestling and ended up being sexually assaulted because of political cowardice. The court scheduled the first hearing for August 18.
Washington state officials insist on pushing gender ideology at all costs — even at the expense of girls’ safety and privacy. The school district’s written policy prohibits notifying parents or anyone else when their daughters will be matched against male athletes. Furthermore, district officials told Stephanie and Kallie that they won’t change their policy. If Kallie returns to wrestling, she can be matched against a male athlete again without notice and over her objection.
Officials refused to protect this young girl by informing her ahead of time that she’d be wrestling a boy, and then, after she was sexually assaulted, they failed to defend her by keeping silent about the assault. They also refuse to protect her and other girls in the future.
It is appalling that, upon hearing Kallie’s story, some, including elected officials in the state, brushed off the sexual assault as a known risk of wrestling, suggesting this is something she consented to when she signed up to participate in a contact sport — as though a 15-year-old girl can consent to sexual assault — digital penetration — just for participating in a high school sport.
Washington state failed this family, but it isn’t too late to protect other girls. State officials must change their policies and prioritize girls’ safety in sports. No girl should have to unknowingly wrestle a boy. And no mother should have to watch her daughter compete and not be able to protect her because she doesn’t know her daughter is wrestling a boy.
At a bare minimum, parents must be notified before their daughters are matched against male opponents. Every parent has the right to make informed decisions about their children’s safety.
Kallie’s story is proof of the grave harm caused by lying about biology. This must end — otherwise, girls will continue getting hurt and violated. We are urging the court to require state officials to change their policy to ensure that girls’ privacy and safety are protected when they compete in the sports they love.
***
Kate Anderson is senior counsel with <a href="http://www.adflegal.org/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped">Alliance Defending Freedom</a> (<a href="https://x.com/ADFLegal">@ADFLegal</a>) and leads its Center for Parental Rights.

keeler7-scaled

The Price of Political Cowardice Is A Girl’s Sexual Assault

When Shane Gillis hosted the ESPYs in 2025, he put the spotlight on a woman in the crowd who he said was a four-time WNBA all-star. Everyone clapped, until he told them that it wasn’t a WNBA player at all. It was just his friend’s wife. Nobody knew, because nobody cares.
&#8220;I knew none of you knew WNBA players,&#8221; Gillis said. &#8220;That&#8217;s crazy.&#8221;
Well, Mr. Gillis, the WNBA might get the last laugh because that’s all about to change. The WNBA could soon get a shot of pure testosterone, dressed up as an athlete with feminine feelings.
Based on current eligibility rules and draft announcements, the next draft is slated to be the most stacked ever in WNBA history. The three players expected at the top of the draft will change the DNA of their new franchises forever, bringing a level of play that has never been seen in the league before.
It’s obviously still the current season, so the actual draft order is just a guess. We’re obviously not tracking the standings of the season — as Gillis proved, nobody is — so it’s barely an educated guess, but I have covered women’s basketball for much longer than any of you, so trust my analysis.
With all the buzz surrounding the WNBA and the marquee talent joining next season, it’s a great time to look at the future of women&#8217;s basketball with a Way Too Early WNBA 2027 Mock Draft.
<h3>1. Enes Kanter Freedom — Connecticut Sun</h3>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1156043 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-81-1-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-81-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-81-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-81-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-81-1.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></div>
Enes Kanter Freedom is a WNBA coach’s dream.
She stands 6’10 and weighs around 250 pounds, which would make her the most physically dominant player in the league.  Enes will team up with Brittney Griner, yep Brittney hasn’t made it in the NBA…yet. It&#8217;s been four years since Kanter played pro ball, but check out this video: she is jacked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Let “The Transition” to the <a href="https://x.com/WNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WNBA</a> begin.
Rules Are Rules!<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/LetFreedomPlay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetFreedomPlay</a> <a href="https://t.co/EWWjrl7DaL">pic.twitter.com/EWWjrl7DaL</a>
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://x.com/EnesFreedom/status/2087185917047971948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
She is also a former WWE title holder. Kanter took down R-Truth back in 2019 in front of a packed crowd at Madison Square Garden — far larger than any WNBA crowd — to claim the WWE 24/7 Championship. Her run in sports entertainment will help Kanter with the theatrics that happen night in and night out in the WNBA. Kanter will make a splash in season one.
<h3>2. Royce White — Washington Mystics.</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156015" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156015" class="size-large wp-image-1156015" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-78-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-78-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-78-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-78-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-78.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Royce White X Account</div>
Get you a <a href="https://x.com/Highway_30/status/2086316310309347564?s=20">girl</a> who can do both! White is working on her game and a political aspirations. Playing in D.C. gives her the perfect opportunity to fulfill both duties to the country and WNBA. A standout at Iowa State, he led the Cyclones in scoring, posted one of the best seasons in Iowa State history, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks. The Mystics will raise its stock significantly with this addition.
<h3>3. Julie Tetart — Toronto Tempo</h3>
<div id="attachment_1151143" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1151143" class="wp-image-1151143 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/male-baller--1024x542.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="542" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/male-baller--1024x542.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/male-baller--300x159.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/male-baller--768x407.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/male-baller-.jpg 1058w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Instagram: Julie Tétart</div>
Pronounced like Mater from the PIXAR film “Cars,” this French woman bailed on being a man at 29 years old and has since dominated the women’s French basketball league. She’s the reigning Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Domestic Player of the Year in the league with her eyes set on the next prize which is that WNBA paycheck. Check out her highlights from last season:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Julie Tetart&#8217;s best games last season in the Monaco Basket Association 👀
32 PTS, 25 REB (14/16 FG) 
29 PTS, 22 REB (9/10 FG) 
25 PTS, 25 REB (12 ORB) 
24 PTS, 28 REB (12 ORB) 
24 PTS, 23 REB (11/11 FG) 
21 PTS, 30 REB, 5 STL 
30 PTS, 21 REB (11/15 FG)<a href="https://t.co/pdzZWIfG05">pic.twitter.com/pdzZWIfG05</a>
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://x.com/Ballislife/status/2085004697023205845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
It’s a top-heavy draft, and this is where the weight may run out. These are the only three players you need to know next season. They will own every category in the league.
They&#8217;re the only three that have declared intent, but now that the seal is broken, we foresee more league-changing talent right around the corner. I went ahead and rounded out the top 10 prospects in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
<h3>4. Kyle Guy</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156537" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156537" class="size-large wp-image-1156537" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-82-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-82-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-82-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-82-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-82.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images</div>
What a year to be the first Guy in the WNBA. He won a national championship for Virginia in 2019, had a few years in the NBA, and has now transitioned into a whole new era of basketball: 3 v 3, internationally. Sounds to me like the road back home runs through the WNBA.
Another transition could be intriguing for Guy.
<h3>5. Jimmy Butler</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156543" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156543" class="size-large wp-image-1156543" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-83-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-83-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-83-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-83-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-83.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Sam Navarro/Getty Images</div>
One of my favorite players. Always down for a rebrand. Remember Emo Jimmy with the painted black nails?
He could be an absolute trendsetter in the WNBA.
<h3>6. Tristan Thompson</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156547" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156547" class="size-large wp-image-1156547" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-84-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-84-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-84-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-84-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-84.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Rich Storry/Getty Images</div>
He has children with a Kardashian. He knows business and continuing his basketball career in the WNBA would be a great business opportunity, plus Caitlyn Jenner can help him with his feminine side.
<h3>7. Grayson Allen</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156555" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156555" class="size-large wp-image-1156555" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-85-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-85-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-85-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-85-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-85.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images</div>
Big Ted Cruz guy. Allen has a Reddit account dedicated to his favorite books&#8230; You know women love a book club.
<h3>8. Dwight Howard</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156557" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156557" class="size-large wp-image-1156557" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-86-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-86-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-86-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-86-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-86.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: John Nacion/Getty Images for Fanatics</div>
We’ve all heard the rumors…
<h3>9. Dwayne Wade</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156561" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156561" class="size-large wp-image-1156561" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-87-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-87-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-87-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-87-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-87.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images</div>
Since he endorsed his adolescent son&#8217;s transition. It&#8217;s safe to assume he&#8217;s a major ally for men in women’s sports.
<h3>10. Zaya Wade</h3>
<div id="attachment_1156571" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1156571" class="size-large wp-image-1156571" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-88-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-88-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-88-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-88-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-88.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images</div>
Dwayne Wade&#8217;s son has been identifying as a girl since she was 12. Seven years later, he could be a PR star for the league. It&#8217;s in his DNA.
The 2027 WNBA Draft is set for April of next year. Tune in for our next round of updates.

Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images/ Royce White

Our Way Too Early WNBA Mock Draft: Testosterone-Fueled Talent Shakes Up Board

Enes Kanter

Enes Kanter Freedom

News

Sports

The WNBA held a meeting Wednesday to discuss the all-important question, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman">What is a woman?</a>&#8221; as it faces controversy over whether men should be allowed in the league. 
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told teams in a memo that a committee consisting of team presidents and general managers would speak on the issue of men in women&#8217;s sports during the meeting, according to ESPN.
The result of the meeting was underwhelming as WNBA leaders came to no conclusion on transgender athletes competing in the league. Instead, they pushed the major decision even further down the road and urged people to stop speaking in “bad-faith efforts” on the subject. 
“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. We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months,” a WNBA spokesman said in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire. “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.”
Neither Engelbert nor the WNBA higher-ups could come to a conclusion on what should have been a simple yes-or-no vote.
The debate on transgender athletes in sports escalated after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham took a stance on the issue and said she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Cunningham&#8217;s comments led to some WNBA players and coaches criticizing the guard and supporting men in women&#8217;s sports.
Supporters of Cunningham were even scolded courtside when Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunningham-rips-wnba-team-co-owner-for-harassing-teens-girls-with-xx-xy-shirts">yelled at the teenagers</a> for wearing shirts advocating for the protection of women&#8217;s sports.
The issue has also prompted former NBA pros <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-player-declares-for-wnba-draft?row=0&amp;elementPosition=12&amp;rowType=Web+Search">Enes Kanter Freedom</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-former-nba-player-says-hes-entering-wnba-draft-threatens-discrimination-suit?row=0&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;rowType=Web+Search">Royce White</a> to declare for the next WNBA draft, claiming they identify as transgender and want to be accepted.
It remains unclear whether the WNBA would allow Kanter Freedom and White to participate in 2027 under current league guidelines if they are drafted. While the league&#8217;s collective bargaining agreement states that &#8220;only players who are women are eligible to play,&#8221; there is controversy over whether the WNBA would recognize trans-identifying men as women.

Phoenix Mercury V Connecticut Sun

WNBA Finishes Meeting On Transgender Athletes, Decides Nothing

Enes Freedom

Royce White

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham pushed back after Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington blamed &#8220;WHITE PRIVILEGE&#8221; for her own ejection from Saturday&#8217;s game — a post Carrington later deleted.
Cunningham <a href="https://x.com/kareemcopeland/status/2086219526266556444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2086219526266556444%7Ctwgr%5E6d9bb0378f30ffe86b5bba7a7baf000c6f030b5a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Foutkick-sports%2Fsophie-cunningham-speaks-out-against-dijonai-carrington-flagrant-foul-white-privilege-post">dismissed the accusation</a> outright, pointing to her own ejection last season for a similar foul.
&#8220;I think the league is taking care of that,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There&#8217;s no reason to even play that card.&#8221;
Of the foul itself, Cunningham <a href="https://x.com/kareemcopeland/status/2086220659319771185">said</a>, &#8220;Clearly, I think it was unnecessary. I&#8217;ve never really spoken to her and have no beef with her, but I guess she has  some pent-up stuff. So, get your [stuff] off. That&#8217;s fine — I can take it.&#8221;
She went further, calling the hit deliberate: &#8220;Yeah, it&#8217;s intentional&#8230; I do think when people play the Fever, we&#8217;re nationally televised, there&#8217;s a lot of eyes on us and people just want attention. And that&#8217;s her just trying to get attention.&#8221;
Video of the interaction — which showed Carrington clothes-lining Cunningham as she went in for a lay-up — spread quickly across social media. The foul — which landed Cunningham on her back on the court — was upgraded to a flagrant two after review, with officials citing &#8220;wind-up, impact, and follow-through&#8221; and a &#8220;high potential for injury for player in a vulnerable position.&#8221;
Fever Coach Stephanie White reacted to the hit, saying, &#8220;It was a hard foul. I don&#8217;t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did, but it did happen, and I thought it was the right call.&#8221;
Sky coach Tyler Marsh, when asked about Carrington&#8217;s locker-room reaction to her removal from the game, replied, &#8220;I have to get back to you on that because I&#8217;m just now hearing about that. So yeah, we&#8217;ll handle that.&#8221;
Cunningham made waves when she said in an <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49306657/sophie-cunningham-finger-point-indiana-fever-wnba">ESPN interview</a> last month that she did not believe it was fair for women and girls to compete in athletics against biological males — and has been the target of protests and criticism ever since.
Sports Illustrated delivered <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2086229865930297827">clear bias</a> in a headline covering the most recent incident, which read, &#8220;Sophie Cunningham Got A Bitter Taste Of Karma After Drawing Flagrant Foul In Fever-Sky.&#8221; The outlet appears to have since quietly <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/sophie-cunningham-karma-flagrant-foul-fever-sky">changed the headline</a>.
Women&#8217;s sports advocate <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2086418921914012058">Riley Gaines</a> responded to Carrington&#8217;s reaction, saying on Fox News that her post was more indicative of &#8220;black privilege&#8221; than anything else.
&#8220;I would actually say that this is BLACK privilege to be totally honest with you! Because her posting this white racist comment right after assaulting Sophie Cunningham on the court is actually black privilege, because she knows the WNBA won&#8217;t do a SINGLE thing of significance about it!&#8221; Gaines explained. &#8220;And imagine if the roles were reverse if Sophie made a comment similar to this — then she&#8217;d likely never play again!&#8221;

Sophie Cunningham Smacks Down Opponent’s ‘White Privilege’ Comment

transgender athlete

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom declared himself a prospect for the 2027 WNBA Draft on Friday, challenging the league to explain how its current eligibility rules would rule him out.
“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect,” Freedom said.
“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”
Freedom said his team had reviewed the league’s eligibility criteria and policies surrounding what he described as “self-identification and inclusion,” arguing that nothing in those rules prevents him from declaring himself eligible for the 2027 draft. 
“Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027,” he added.
The WNBA&#8217;s publicly available draft eligibility rules do not state that a player can become eligible simply by self-identifying as a woman. The league does not appear to have a publicly stated policy that explicitly bars transgender-identifying men from competing in the WNBA.
According to OutKick/Fox News Digital, the WNBA&#8217;s newly signed collective bargaining agreement <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/wnba-silent-whether-french-transgender-star-dominating-womens-league-eligible-play">states</a>: &#8220;Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.&#8221; The outlet reported that the 409-page agreement &#8220;never defines &#8216;woman&#8217; or &#8216;women.&#8217; The terms &#8216;transgender&#8217; and &#8216;gender identity&#8217; don&#8217;t appear anywhere in the document.&#8221;
Freedom sought to head off criticism that the move was intended to mock transgender-identifying people, saying he was instead asking the WNBA to apply its rules consistently. 
“I know my presence on the court will stir up strong opinions,” Freedom said. “I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices.”
“I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone — the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.”
The stunt comes amid a growing controversy surrounding transgender-identifying athletes participating in women’s sports and the WNBA in particular. 
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has publicly argued that women’s sports should remain protected for female athletes. Her comments drew criticism from leftists and sparked a broader debate over where WNBA players and the league itself stand on transgender inclusion.
Some WNBA players and coaches have expressed support for transgender-identifying athletes competing in women’s sports. Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, for example, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-wnba-star-enters-the-men-in-womens-sports-debate">said</a> she would welcome a transgender-identifying athlete on her team or as an opponent.
Freedom is now challenging the league to apply that philosophy to his own declared eligibility. 
“My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception,” Freedom said. “I look forward to the #WNBA honoring its stated principles.”
“See you at training camp.”
Freedom, 34, was selected third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft and spent more than a decade playing in the NBA. He became increasingly outspoken on political and international issues during his career, particularly over the Chinese Communist Party and the NBA’s relationship with China, and has pursued political activism since leaving the league.
Freedom is 6-foot-10 and had a listed playing weight of 250 pounds during his NBA career, which would make him the heaviest player in the WNBA and among its tallest.
The stunt bears an obvious resemblance to &#8220;Lady Ballers,&#8221; the DailyWire+ comedy in which a group of men competes in women’s sports after discovering how far self-identification can take them under left-wing sporting policies.
The WNBA did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for clarification on its draft eligibility rules.

Washington Wizards v Boston Celtics

Former NBA Player Declares For WNBA Draft

female sports

trans

Transgenders

Women Sports

Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams became the first active WNBA player to declare she’d gladly share a locker room with biological men identifying as women.
Williams called trans inclusion &#8220;our new battle&#8221; while claiming rights are being &#8220;stripped away&#8221; from transgender individuals.
“I think it&#8217;s trans rights that now is our new battle,” Williams stated. “That&#8217;s what I think I was saying, that the battles have changed. Our intentions have been the same, but now the environment has changed. We see trans people&#8217;s rights being stripped away from them. There&#8217;s a lot of discourse around trans athletes and what they can compete in. I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team anytime. I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s a problem in the world, it&#8217;s just another way to kind of attack trans people.”
Williams singled out former “non-binary” WNBA player Layshia Clarendon for praise.
&#8220;You know, we&#8217;ve seen players like Layshia Clarendon, who stepped into that forefront and have been brave enough and courageous enough to kind of step up. So I guess that&#8217;s the next battle that we have to fight as athletes.”
Williams&#8217; radical invite comes on the heels of a league-wide rift sparked by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who stood up for protecting women in sports. Cunningham ignited the debate last month by bluntly stating she wants to &#8220;protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn&#8217;t have to go against biological men,&#8221; before shutting down online mobs with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunningham-triples-down-on-haters-with-ice-cold-instagram-post%5d">defiant</a>, &#8220;I said what I said.&#8221;
The feud reached a boiling point on the court when Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve strutted out in a &#8220;Trans Kids Belong&#8221; t-shirt, earning a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/espn-praises-wnba-coach-after-trans-sports-jab-at-sophie-cunningham">public plug</a> from ESPN announcer Rebecca Lobo. Meanwhile, Fever head coach Stephanie White <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunninghams-coach-asked-where-she-stands-on-men-in-womens-sports">ducked the issue</a> entirely, claiming she wasn&#8217;t &#8220;educated enough from a scientific standpoint&#8221; to take a stand.
While corporate execs and coaches hem and haw, Cunningham’s common-sense defense of female athletics has rallied fans nationwide, even drawing backing from White House Press Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-rips-leftist-backlash-to-sophie-cunninghams-trans-sports-comments">Karoline Leavitt</a> and activist Riley Gaines.
The heat has even spilled into the stands. In Seattle, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was punished after flying off the handle in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-co-owner-accused-of-cursing-out-teen-girls-over-xx-xy-shirts?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WNBA+Co-Owner+Accused+Of+Cursing+Out+Teen+Girls+Over+XX-XY+Shirts">expletive-laced tirade</a> against two 16-year-old girls wearing gear supporting Cunningham’s position.

WNBA: AUG 04 Toronto Tempo at Golden State Valkyries

Another WNBA Star Enters The Men In Women’s Sports Debate

A man is dominating women&#8217;s basketball in France, sparking questions about the WNBA&#8217;s supposed commitment to be &#8220;inclusive&#8221; with transgender athletes.
A six-foot-three male hooper named Julie Tétart has absolutely dominated France&#8217;s Ligue Féminine 2 league, which is the second-highest level of women&#8217;s pro ball in the country. Tétart averaged 21 points and a stunning 20 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 61% from the field during the 2025-26 season.
Tétart has unsurprisingly rewritten the record books, becoming the first player in the league to post 30 rebounds in a single game. In 12 different games, Tétart recorded at least 20 rebounds.
The male athlete was named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and French (Domestic) Player of the Year in BeBasket&#8217;s annual awards following the 2025–26 season.
Outkick asked Tétart if he would consider playing in the WNBA if they offered him a contract. He <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbocbN4oHWl/?img_index=1&amp;igsh=d20yaHAxMGtodmIw">responded</a>, &#8220;If they contact me, I won&#8217;t say no. But you have to be realistic: I&#8217;m old, and there are far better players than me. Obviously, it&#8217;s a childhood dream just like for any female basketball player, but unfortunately, it&#8217;s not possible.&#8221;
The standout, however, is not a prospect for the all-inclusive WNBA.
Outkick founder and radio host Clay Travis <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2084782956577464570">mocked</a> the league, posting, &#8220;This b*tch can ball. I can’t believe the transphobic [WNBA] won’t sign this woman.&#8221;
Travis joked in another post, &#8220;This dude is my favorite women’s basketball player ever.&#8221;
The issue of men in women&#8217;s sports has become a lightning rod in the WNBA in recent weeks after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham came out strongly against allowing men to compete in female sports.
&#8220;It’s kind of common sense, and I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category,&#8221; Cunningham said. &#8220;I stand on what I said and I’m going to always believe that.”
“I’m not a very political person, but I do have beliefs,” the WNBA star continued. “I have morals, and I’ll always stand on those and be true to who I am, and I think people are going to take it how they want to take it. … When it comes to protecting young girls in sport and women in sport, I feel very strongly about that.”
The league, including numerous coaches and players, has since counter-signaled Cunningham and promoted males in female sports. Cunningham, for her part, has refused to back down.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worlds-top-female-tennis-player-takes-stand-for-womens-sports?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=World’s+Top+Female+Tennis+Player+Takes+Stand+For+Women’s+Sports">World’s Top Female Tennis Player Takes Stand For Women’s Sports</a>

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