WNBA task force to review eligibility rules amid debate over trans athlete participation

The WNBA announced that a task force will continue discussions for "weeks and months" to clarify the league’s eligibility criteria for players who identify as women. The move follows renewed scrutiny after a 2021 social-media post from the league’s official X account highlighted two male athletes, Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller, who had competed in Connecticut girls’ high school track events and won titles. The post, which remained on the league’s X and Facebook pages, expressed support for the athletes and referenced the organization Athlete Ally, which had previously honored them.

Yearwood and Miller’s participation in girls’ track had been the subject of legal challenges, with plaintiffs arguing that their presence displaced female athletes from championship titles and qualifying spots. The lawsuit, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, cited several Connecticut female sprinters who said they lost opportunities to advance or win titles when competing against the two trans athletes.

In response to the ongoing debate, the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that only players who are women may compete in the league, but the agreement does not define the term "woman." The league has declined to specify whether a male-identified player would meet the eligibility requirement. Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have publicly expressed interest in entering the 2027 WNBA draft, prompting further discussion.

According to a source familiar with the league’s recent meeting, part of the task force’s agenda focused on addressing online harassment directed at WNBA players. The league has not yet issued a formal position on the eligibility of trans athletes in its competition.