Former NBA star and sports commentator Charles Barkley has entered the debate over transgender athletes in women’s basketball, saying he does not believe trans women should compete in the WNBA.
Speaking with radio host Michael Smerconish, Barkley said he has “nothing but love and respect for gay people and transgender people” but argued that trans women should be excluded from women’s professional basketball.
He also criticised NBA commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not taking a stronger public position on the issue.
Barkley Defends Sophie Cunningham
Barkley’s comments followed controversy involving Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has spoken publicly against transgender women and girls competing in female sporting categories.
Barkley said he believed the WNBA should simply rule out transgender participation and move on, arguing that the debate is distracting attention from the league and its players.
There are currently no known transgender women competing in the WNBA.
Former player Layshia Clarendon, who retired in 2024, was openly transgender and non-binary, but was assigned female at birth.
Former NBA Players Fuelled The Debate
The issue gained further attention after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced that they intended to make themselves eligible for the 2027 WNBA draft.
The pair framed their move as a protest against the league’s lack of a publicly detailed transgender participation policy.
However, league sources have since said both men are ineligible for the draft.
Their actions have also been criticised by current and former WNBA players, who argue that the stunt has turned a complex discussion about transgender inclusion into a political spectacle.
WNBA Says The Issue Is ‘Complex And Nuanced’
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has described transgender participation as a “complex and nuanced” issue.
The league is currently discussing the matter with team presidents, general managers and other stakeholders.
Barkley, however, believes league leadership should already have taken a definitive position excluding trans women.
That view sits within a much wider global debate over fairness, inclusion and how sporting organisations define women’s categories.
Trans Athletes Remain Rare
The political attention surrounding trans athletes remains far larger than their actual presence in elite sport.
There are currently no known trans women playing in the WNBA, and openly transgender athletes remain extremely uncommon across major professional leagues.
Advocates for trans inclusion argue that blanket bans can unfairly target a very small group of athletes and that policies should instead be based on evidence, individual sports and competitive level.
Others argue that female sporting categories require clear eligibility rules to preserve competitive fairness.
For now, the WNBA has not announced a final policy, meaning the debate is likely to continue.
