New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn’t mincing words right now: she sees the WNBA as an inclusive, safe space for everyone, and that vision is getting challenged hard. The league, which has always served as a sanctuary for both its fans and players, is now at the center of a heated debate over whether transgender women, people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity, should be allowed to play. There has never been such a player in the WNBA, but the conversation is heating up fast.
The Firestorm Sophie Cunningham Sparked
This whole thing exploded after Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever dropped an ESPN profile last month, stating her opposition to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Since then, we’ve seen small rallies and protests pop up outside Indiana Fever games. This Saturday night in Brooklyn, more rallies are already planned before the Liberty even tip off against the Fever. Stewart made it clear to reporters Saturday morning she knows what’s going on, saying, “Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have.” She wants Liberty fans, and even the Indy fans showing up, to feel the arena is a safe space.
Beyond the Shirts: Stewart Warns Against Division
The league’s collective bargaining agreement currently restricts the WNBA to women, but it doesn’t get into specifics about gender identity or sex assigned at birth. What’s even wilder is what went down last Sunday at a game in Atlanta between the Dream and the Fever: WNBA security personnel actually asked at least three fans to cover shirts with messages about transgender women participating in women’s sports. The league later had to admit those fans should have been free to wear their shirts. Stewart wasn’t having any of it, emphasizing that fans come to games because “they can feel like they can be themselves in whatever capacity that is and we don’t want to lose sight of that.” She acknowledges everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, and stifling free speech brings bigger problems. But trying to drive wedges between teams and players? That’s where she draws the line. “I think the bigger thing is people are trying to divide us as teams, but also as teammates or as opponents,” Stewart stated, making it clear this league’s inclusivity is worth fighting for.
So, yeah, it’s all on the line Saturday night in Brooklyn when the Liberty clash with the Fever, with more rallies planned outside. Stewart’s message is powerful: the WNBA needs to stay true to its inclusive roots, allowing fans to be themselves without this growing division. This league has always been about standing up for what’s right, and Stewart’s making sure we don’t lose sight of that platform. We’ll be watching to see how this plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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