W In WNBA Is For Women - Page 5
- WNBA not defending players who voice concerns about transgender participation, prioritizing ideology over women athletes
- Fans supporting players like Sophie Cunningham being confronted, league not protecting freedom of speech
- WNBA risks losing support from fans if it continues to avoid direct defense of female-only competition
W In WNBA Is For Women
Tony Katz blasted the WNBA’s response to the backlash surrounding Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, arguing that the league is letting ideological pressure eclipse the women it is supposed to represent.
“Girls sports should be for girls,” Katz said, calling Cunningham’s stance “normal” and “not political” amid criticism that followed her comments on transgender participation in women’s athletics.
Cunningham, who plays for the Fever, has drawn sharp attacks from critics who characterize her position as anti-transgender. Katz rejected that framing outright, saying the controversy has become another example of people treating a plainly stated position on women’s sports as something sinister.
“The WNBA really [is] showing itself for what it is,” Katz argued. “This is a league that has no interest in the fan and no interest in growth. They have an interest in being wholly political, but only their politics.”
Katz also took aim at the pressure on Fever star Caitlin Clark after she was questioned about Cunningham. Clark did not use the moment to publicly defend Cunningham, a choice Katz said he would have handled differently.
“I would tell Caitlin Clark: absolutely defend Sophie Cunningham and her right to say anything she chooses to say,” Katz said. “She shouldn’t be attacked off the court for it.”
The flashpoint has extended beyond player comments. Katz cited reports of young fans holding signs thanking Cunningham for “standing up for girls” at Minnesota Lynx games, as well as an incident in which Seattle Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder confronted two teenage girls over similar messaging. For Katz, that is the part the league should find alarming: fans are not merely watching a basketball controversy unfold; they are being pulled into it.
He reserved some of his harshest criticism for WNBA coaches and media voices who support broader transgender inclusion in women’s sports, accusing them of avoiding a direct defense of female-only competition. Katz singled out Fever coach Stephanie White, criticizing what he described as a vague and overly academic response instead of an unequivocal stand for Cunningham.
Katz argued the league risks alienating the very audience it needs as it tries to capitalize on surging interest around Clark and other high-profile players. The WNBA has long fought for broader attention. Turning a player’s defense of women’s sports into a cultural-litmus-test spectacle, he said, is not exactly a growth strategy.
“I want you to be successful,” Katz said of the league. “This is good for Indiana. Why wouldn’t I want this?” But he warned that refusing to defend players such as Cunningham could leave the WNBA with less support, not more.
Hear Tony Katz break it down live weekdays on WIBC 93.1 FM, or catch the full segment on-demand.
Listen to the “W In WNBA Is For Women” discussion in full here:
