WNBA Transgender Conspiracy: Right-Wing Influencers Accuse Cisgender Players of Being Men
Despite no transgender women having ever played in the WNBA, a wave of social media claims is targeting high-profile athletes, prompting calls for invasive testing and dismissing the league’s official stance.
A growing chorus of right-wing commentators and influencers is asserting that cisgender women playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association are secretly transgender, a claim that stands in stark contrast to the league’s historical record. According to a report by WIRED, no transgender women have ever played in the WNBA, yet the narrative has gained traction through social media platforms, particularly X.
Australian YouTuber Sydney Watson, who commands more than one million followers, has been a prominent voice in the debate. Watson shared a 2024 video of Connecticut Sun centre Brittney Griner at Baylor University, speculating that the WNBA’s refusal to define “woman” suggests a man is already playing in the league. Griner, a cisgender woman and former NCAA powerhouse, is just one of several players targeted by these baseless allegations.
The moral panic is being fuelled by the MAGA movement and athletes such as Riley Gaines and Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham, a shooting guard for the Indiana Fever, has become a vocal opponent of trans women in the league, citing the need to “protect young girls” in locker rooms. Her stance has made her a figurehead for the movement, though she has not been immune to the scrutiny of those who claim to be investigating the roster.
As the league has noted there are “no immediate eligibility matters” to address, commentators have resorted to more invasive demands. One influencer with nearly 400,000 followers called for “cheek swabs” to determine the sex chromosomes of active players, including Griner. A Facebook group called “Transvestigation Disclosure NOW 2.0,” with 50,000 members, has used pseudoscientific analysis to misidentify players such as Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, and Caitlin Clark as transgender.
The accusations have spread across the league, with users on X posting images of players like Courtney Williams, Natasha Cloud, Alyssa Thomas, and Crystal Dangerfield, suggesting they are men. The fervour has even reached the point where one member of the “Transvestigation” group claimed the entire Las Vegas Aces team consists of “dudes.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has dismissed the uproar as the work of “haters,” emphasising that the league’s eligibility rules are clear. However, the controversy continues to escalate, with Fox News host Dana Perino recently stating that players voicing anger over transphobia are “too dramatic,” implying that women may not need their own league at all.
