The WNBA’s task force, which was meant to discuss the eligibility of transgender players, released a statement. The gist of what they said was basically that they had not reached a conclusion just yet.
A result that was seemingly both disappointing and predictable to Linda Cohn.
Linda Cohn Reacts to the WNBA’s Announcement on Transgender Players’ Eligibility
To say that the 2026 WNBA season has been embroiled in drama is an understatement. This year, not all of the issues have been related to on-court events or incidents. A divisive topic that’s taken center stage is whether transgender athletes are eligible to play in the league.
To discuss the issue, the league has assembled a task force comprising team presidents and GMs. On Wednesday, this select group of people met and later released a statement. In that statement, they said that they had not yet reached a conclusion on the matter.
Cohn, the former ESPN anchor who was inducted into the National Sports Media Hall of Fame in 2017, was not surprised by this. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she expressed her opinion on what she considers a non-statement.
“So that ‘task force’ established by WNBA commissioner Cathy [Engelbert] to examine the league’s policy on transgender athletes was a whole lotta nothing. Saw that coming,” she wrote.
So that “task force” established by WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert to examine the league’s policy on transgender athletes was a whole lotta nothing.
Saw that coming. pic.twitter.com/KCotMjUC2r— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) August 13, 2026
The issue of trans athletes entering the WNBA took center stage after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham weighed in. She said that she wanted to keep girls safe from competing against biological men in professional sports. In the same interview, she also said that she had no hatred in her heart toward transgender people.
Later, the controversy was kicked into a higher gear when two former NBA players declared for the 2027 WNBA draft.
11-year NBA veteran Enes Kanter said that he was entering the women’s professional league. His declaration, however, seemed more like a challenge to the league’s eligibility rules, or lack thereof. After Kanter’s statement, Royce White also expressed his willingness to play in the WNBA.
KEEP READING: ‘It’s Horrible Energy’ – Basketball Legend Cheryl Miller Blasts Enes Kanter, Royce White After Trans-Athlete Drama
However, he also challenged the WNBA’s leadership to come forward with a definitive statement regarding biological women playing in the league.
Until the league issues a definitive statement, this issue will persist. Once they come to a conclusion, though, it’s safe to assume that even that will be a divisive topic.
