When Sophie Cunningham suggested that she did not want transgender athletes competing in the WNBA because she wanted to protect young girls in locker rooms, she likely did not expect her comments to grow into a much bigger debate.
But that is exactly what happened. Her remarks have sparked discussion across the WNBA, and Republican politician Vernon Jones has also joined the conversation, calling on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to take action.
Advertisement
Vernon Jones’s Request to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Jones, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, asked NBA Commissioner Silver directly to step in and fix the WNBA by removing Cathy Engelbert as commissioner.
“Commissioner Adam Silver of the NBA needs to stand up and be a man. Fix the WNBA before it’s destroyed. Fire WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Then make it clear the women’s league is for women only…those born with XY chromosomes. Start testing; that will end the drama. No more; no less. @AtlantaDream,” Vernon wrote on X.
This whole eligibility debate isn’t new. About two weeks ago, Engelbert said the league would hold a meeting to talk through the concerns, especially after former NBA players like Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White said they planned to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Advertisement
According to ESPN, that meeting did happen last week. But not much came out of it. The main takeaway was that the league plans to continue discussing the issue until it’s resolved.
“We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. 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,” the league’s statement read, as per ESPN.
Meanwhile, ever since Cunningham made her comments, many have stood firmly behind her, including XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey. But something happenedthis past Sunday that pulled her brand into a fresh controversy.
Two Georgia residents were sitting just a couple of rows behind the courtside for the Fever-Dream game, having paid around $1,000 each for their seats.
Advertisement
Kasey had on an XX-XY shirt with a stars-and-stripes design, and Annie wore a Riley Gaines collaboration shirt with the words “For the Girls” on the back. Nobody bothered them for most of the game. Then, partway through overtime, a security guard walked up and asked them to step away from their seats.
Kasey said she asked if it had something to do with their shirts, and the guard reportedly told her another fan had complained about the message on them.
The two were then told to either put on the Atlanta Dream “Wellness & Health Night” shirts that the arena handed them or leave. Kasey pushed back on the request, but in the end, she and her daughter put the shirts on anyway so they wouldn’t miss the rest of overtime.
Advertisement
Since that incident, backlash inside the WNBA community has been building fast. Jones’ comment landed right in the middle of all this, adding a political voice to a controversy.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
