WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is taking a firm stand against outside actors using women’s basketball as a culture battleground.
Pressure is mounting on Cathy Engelbert as the league’s new executive task force convenes to address gender eligibility policies, leaving her under pressure to deliver a clear, forward-looking explanation.
What began as internal player frustration boiled over when Sophie Cunningham’s public comments ignited a national debate, giving outside political figures an opening to target the league.
Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White haven’t helped the situation, having formally made their WNBA draft bids, exploiting CBA loopholes to challenge eligibility rules.
And it now falls on Engelbert to make the right decision.
Cathy Engelbert is fed up of the outside noise in the WNBAWNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during a fireside chat ahead of Wings-Fever at American Airlines Center that the WNBA has become “the center of political football” for people who don’t watch the league.
She added: “People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness. There’s always going to be haters out there and we denounce it. The vitriol has got to stop against our players.”
Of course, she doesn’t directly mention the ongoing transgender debate, but it’s pretty clear what she means by the political football.
After formally declaring for the WNBA draft yesterday, Royce White and Enes Kanter continue to pile pressure on the commissioner and there may be others who follow suit soon.
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