As the Indiana Fever made the trip to the Big Apple to face the New York Liberty, the conversation once again shifted to the transgender inclusion issue as the game saw rallies by both supporters and opponents of the controversial topic outside the arena. Ahead of the game, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart spoke to a select group of reporters and gave her thoughts on the issue that has deeply divided the basketball community.
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“Breanna Stewart spent 15 minutes talking to reporters about all of this. Stewart told us that the royalties from her Harry Potter shoes have been donated to the
@TrevorProject,” New York Liberty reporter Jackie Powell wrote on X.
Powell’s post came after IX Sports’ Howard Megdal’s report connected Stewart to the ongoing transgender debate in the league. Megdal reported that Stewart had spoken to a select group of reporters about the continuing controversy around the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“Ahead of tonight’s matchup, Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty gave a thoughtful round-up with select reporters. Of course, IX Sports was there, Jackie Powell on our behalf, and the subject was the ongoing conversation around trans women in women’s sports and specifically the WNBA,” Medagal said in a YouTube video posted on The IX Sports channel.
Breanna Stewart expressed her thoughts before the game, calling for an inclusive league, among other things.
“The inclusivity (of the league) is the big thing for me. I don’t want to turn anyone away at the door because that’s not right either. But I know for a fact that people have safe space here when they come to these games, and that’s something that… is really precious, and you have to hold on to and make sure that doesn’t change.”
Stewart believes the onus is on the league ecosystem to make WNBA games a safe space for all. Her comments come at a time when the transgender athlete issue has transcended Sophie Cunningham’s personal comments, causing friction between the fans.
“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,” Stewie added. “I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.”
Stewart actually leads by example here. She mentioned to reporters that proceeds from her Harry Potter-themed signature Puma basketball shoes went to the Trevor Project, a crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth. Stewart is not alone in calling for inclusivity in the league.
Previously, the WNBA players’ association, the WNBPA, also emphasized inclusion in the league after Sophie Cunningham’s comments started to expose the fault lines within the women’s basketball world. Incidentally, Stewart is one of the vice presidents of this organization.
“We embrace justice equity, diversity, and inclusion,” the WNBPA statement read. “Those are the values that unite this union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change. Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.”
While this saga continues to draw comments and opinions from both sides, Stewart has even suggested that perhaps a change in the official rules could address this issue.
Breanna Stewart Urges for a Clear Distinction in the WNBA Eligibility Policy
After the controversy erupted after Sophie Cunningham’s ESPN interview on July 21, the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert were criticized for maintaining silence on such a critical issue.
However, Engelbert called for a meeting between all the team presidents and GMs to discuss this issue in an internal memo that was accessed by the Associated Press at the time. The “anti-hate task force” met virtually, and the league released a statement afterward.
“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.”
This is precisely why Stewart believes the controversy and debate rage on in the league, as the absence of clear rules and policy paradigms gives way to speculation.
“Of course, if the league kind of had the rules set in place on inclusivity, it would kind of make it a cleaner picture for everyone else,” Stewart said, per a New York Post article.
“With that, I’m definitely deferring to the WNBA and the task force. … Hopefully they were thinking about this beforehand … [and] didn’t come up just now.”
By the looks of it, the saga shows no signs of slowing down, as any change in the current policies will have to be made through collective bargaining between the players and the league, which is often a long, drawn-out process. For now, Stewart and Co. will turn their attention to securing a top-four finish as they take on the Golden State Valyries next, on August 27.