New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has made her first public comments about the WNBA controversy sparked by Sophie Cunningham’s stance against trans athletes in women’s sports.
Before the Liberty handed the Indiana Fever a 109-102 loss on Saturday, Liberty’s star guard Stewart addressed the furore over trans athletes created by her opponent, Cunningham.
With two different rallies going on outside the Liberty’s Barclays Centre home, Stewart delivered her take on trans athletes participating in women’s sports.
Breanna Stewart welcomes all opinions as long as it doesn’t lead to hateStewart delivered a nuanced statement on the current debate surrounding trans athletes and the WNBA in an interview, directly addressing Cunningham’s comments but not attacking her for having this difference of opinion.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This league is incredibly inclusive, in what we continue to fight for and stand up against. So we don’t want to take that platform away.”
“We just want to make sure that everyone is still educated and knows that the things that brought this league together – between the fight and the grit and the camaraderie – we can’t let that take us apart by outside hate.”
Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images“The inclusivity is the big thing for me. I don’t want to turn anyone away at the door because that’s not right either. But I know for a fact that people have a safe space here when they come to these games, and that’s something that… is really precious, and you have to hold on to and make sure that doesn’t change.”
She also commented on the competing rallies over the issue outside the Liberty vs. Fever game, highlighting the league’s platform to stir discussion rather than being a vehicle of hate.
“Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has, and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have.”
Stewart wants the WNBA to clarify their eligibility rules to create a safe solution to this growing concern, although the WNBA has never had a transgender athlete even declare for the draft before, until the actions of Royce White and Enes Kanter.
Hopefully, the WNBA can come to a solution that can end such media sideshows amid an excellent season on the court.
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