The debate on the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports has taken over the WNBA in recent weeks on the back of comments made by Sophie Cunningham.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has now made it clear where he stands on the trans-athlete debate.
Stephen A. Smith Weighs In on Trans-Athlete Debate
Cunningham sparked a national debate last month by publicly opposing transgender women competing in women’s sports. The Indiana Fever guard has received a barrage of criticism and support for her comments, with rallies taking place outside WNBA arenas around the country.
Smith made it clear that while he supports trans people’s rights, he does not believe that biological men should be allowed to compete in women’s sports. According to the ESPN analyst, the two things simply aren’t mutually exclusive.
“I’m not backing down from this one. You can support people’s rights AND believe biological men shouldn’t compete in women’s sports. Those two things are not mutually exclusive,” Smith wrote on X.
I’m not backing down from this one.
You can support people’s rights AND believe biological men shouldn’t compete in women’s sports. Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
My issue isn’t hate. It’s protecting women, protecting girls, and asking why a WNBA coach chose to…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) August 4, 2026
Explaining his stance, Smith further noted the importance of protecting women. He called out Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who called for inclusion and spoke in favor of trans athletes being allowed in women’s sports. She also sported a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt during the Fever-Lynx game on Sunday.
“My issue isn’t hate. It’s protecting women, protecting girls, and asking why a WNBA coach chose to inject herself into a controversy that could hurt the very league she’s supposed to represent. Common sense still matters. That’s where I stand,” he added.
Smith further elaborated on his stance with a video on his YouTube channel, calling it a “common sense” issue. He added that he fully supported the trans community, but was against them competing in women’s sports.
“This is not a conversation about being anti-anything. This is a conversation about being pro-girls. At some point of time, there has to be the return of common sense. This is not about preaching hate,” he said.
Former swimmer Riley Gaines and XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey were among the many activists who traveled to Minneapolis on Sunday to lend their support to Cunningham and the cause.
With the Fever next playing on Thursday against the Las Vegas Aces in Indiana, it will be interesting to see whether more rallies take place in what is quickly becoming one of the most controversial issues in the WNBA.
