The WNBA continues to take on criticism from all sides. Despite record ratings and attendance, the league continues to endure the various slings and arrows for very little that happens on the basketball court.
Sparked by Indiana Fever backup Sophie Cunningham‘s anti-trans-athlete comments in an ESPN interview and subsequent doubling down, the league finds itself deep in a national conversation that transcends sports.
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Clay Travis Claims Some WNBA Players Cannot Pass a Gender Test
While the management attempts to distance itself from the rhetoric, commentators’ takes across social media continue to breathe life into the dialogue. One in particular offered a take that many will discuss.
With the best collection of women’s basketball talent on the planet, the WNBA hoped to focus solely on basketball. However, as mentioned, Cunningham opened a door for those who may not have a legitimate interest in how the league plays. Right-wing pundit Clay Travis decided to uncork a conspiracy theory about gender and the league.
“Flip this, ’cause it will get everyone riled up. But, I do think it’s potentially true… I think they know they have players in the WNBA that will not be capable of passing a basic gender test,” Travis said.
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The first eight words of Travis’s talk illustrate his thought process. Without any corroborated evidence or testimony, Travis poses a theory. For the sole purpose of instigating a discussion on a politically charged topic, Travis appeared to have accomplished his goal.
Secondly, as a lawyer, Travis inserted the word “potentially,” possibly in order to shield himself from any legal issues from the WNBA. Yet, he continued to build upon his take.
“That doesn’t mean they are straight men. It means that there might be some of the Caster Semenyas of the world… They have way too much testosterone,” he argued.
For context, Semenya is an Olympic gold medalist in middle-distance running. Semenya has 5α-Reductase 2 deficiency. Her physiological issue, not surgery, was the issue. Furthermore, Travis’ assertions that the WNBA employs women like Semenya are not convincing.
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According to the “Integrative and Analytical Review of the 5-Alpha-Reductase Type 2 Deficiency Worldwide,” as of 2020, there are only 434 cases worldwide, out of billions of people on Earth.
The WNBA met this week to establish a task force, in part to address player eligibility. For now, the league looks locked in a discussion about gender and its on-court product.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
