Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has questioned the WNBA’s stance on the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports after the league recently denounced “bad-faith efforts” to demean transgender athletes following the Enes Freedom controversy.
The league recently said that it condemns any effort that directly or indirectly marginalizes or attacks the transgender community. The statement came after former NBA players Freedom and Royce White announced their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA draft while identifying as women.
Navratilova, who has long opposed the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports, dropped a three-word reaction to the WNBA’s recent comments.
“Cherry picking anyone?”
While Navratilova’s comments appeared to be a jab at the WNBA’s broader stance on the issue, the league said that it currently is not dealing with any eligibility matters.
The WNBA recently formed an anti-hate task force to address the ongoing issue, and with regard to Freedom and White’s plans to enter the WNBA draft, the league said that there are “no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA.”
Martina Navratilova Questions Self-ID Rules in Women’s Sports
Martina Navratilova has made her stance on “self-identification” in women’s sports clear amid the ongoing transgender debate.
The multiple-time Grand Slam winner said that if simply self-identifying as a man or a woman automatically gives someone all the rights of that gender, that principle should be consistently applied to determine eligibility.
Responding to a post on X, Navratilova said:
“Precisely. The whole point is that self ID is All that counts. Anything and everything else is irrelevant. Right, TRA’s?”
Navratilova’s comments have added another layer to the ongoing issue over how women’s sports in particular should approach the transgender inclusion debate.
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