The WNBA’s response to transgender athlete eligibility has sparked intense criticism from XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey.
She has urged the league to enforce biological sex testing, arguing that preserving women’s sports requires clear, science-based boundaries.
XX-XY Athletics Founder Jennifer Sey Demands Biological Sex Testing in WNBA
The controversy dates back to last month when Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham shared her stance against trans athletes being allowed to compete in women’s sports. Two former NBA players took it a step further by declaring themselves for the upcoming WNBA Draft.
Enes Kanter and Royce White’s stunt aimed to exploit what they called vague language in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Following media and public backlash, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert convened a task force of team presidents and general managers. However, the August 12 meeting concluded without any rule changes or clear policy definitions.
The league issued a statement saying it would handle ongoing discussions ‘in alignment with the values of our league’ while condemning ‘bad-faith efforts’ to demean others.
XX-XY Athletics Founder, Sey, was not pleased with the efforts being made by the WNBA. She argued that the simplest, most definitive resolution for the WNBA is to implement biological sex testing.
“The WNBA needs to wake up. Just say you were wrong. You’re sorry. The W is for ‘Women’ and you’re gonna test for sex. It will be ok. I promise. You’ll get blowback from the trans crowd for 2 weeks, then it will be done. And you can move on,” she wrote on X.
The official XX-XY account, on the other hand, highlighted the irony of a women’s sports league taking ‘weeks and months’ to define what constitutes a woman.
“Translation: we’re unsure of the single most important thing our entire league is predicated on,” the official XX-XY account wrote on X while resharing a post about the WNBA statement.
The WNBA is in a tough spot right now. By trying to please everyone and avoiding a hard rule on biological sex, the league is just opening the door for more political drama and online backlash.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.