The WNBA has yet to come to a consensus on whether the inclusion of transgender athletes in the league will come to fruition.
Linda Cohn, who was with ESPN for more than 30 years, was critical of the W’s failure to provide fans with an update on this matter, especially given how divided public sentiment is on the topic.
Linda Cohn Wishes the WNBA Would Resolve the Transgender Issue More Decisively
Royce White, a former NBA player who played less than a season in the league, and Enes Kanter, made headlines for claiming they would declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
This, amongst other events such as Sophie Cunningham’s unwillingness to budge on including trans-women in the WNBA, led to Cathy Engelbert and the W to release a statement:
“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.”
Cohn took to her show and called out Engelbert and the league for seemingly cowering behind this statement. She wants league officials to be more decisive and to take inspiration from sporting leagues around the world that are tackling this issue more effectively.
“Maybe they just ordered lunch and a cup of coffee” #wnba pic.twitter.com/FWZOrq1xwm
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) August 14, 2026
“Instead of, during this meeting, acknowledging other governing bodies in other sports like the World Tennis Association, the IOC, World Boxing…. all of those groups are on top of this,” said Cohn.
The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) bars participants who have undergone male puberty from partaking in women’s competitions.
World Boxing requires “biological females determined by sex at birth” to be the sole athletes competing in the women’s division.
The WNBA has not taken a hard stance such as this yet. Cohn’s issue with the WNBA also stems from the “bad faith” statement they released. She wishes they’d instead said:
“We realize other governing bodies with other women’s sports are looking into this and have made decisions and have changed their policy.”
The WTA most recently changed its policy. Players will now be placed in the women’s division based on their biological sex rather than their gender identity.
MORE: ‘Seek Help’ – Fever Reporter Doesn’t Mince Words About ‘Unhinged’ Caitlin Clark Fans
“You hear that from the other side. ‘There are no transgender athletes playing in the WNBA right now and no transgender athlete has applied.’ You just created a bigger hole for yourself to climb out of. You just created a heavier obstacle to move down the road,” continued Cohn.
There are currently no updates on where the WNBA is leaning regarding gender-based eligibility. If other women’s sports are any indication, there will be a barring of their inclusion when it’s all said and done.
