The WNBA is facing growing questions over who should be eligible to compete in its women’s league. Its current collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but does not publicly spell out how the league determines who qualifies as a woman. The debate gained fresh attention this summer after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham spoke out against transgender women competing in women’s sports. Now, three-time Olympic champion Nancy Hogshead has stepped into the discussion.

The former American swimmer launched a petition calling on the WNBA to establish what she describes as ‘female-only’ eligibility criteria and clearly define what “woman” means for players competing in the league.

Hogshead knows the world of elite women’s sports firsthand. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she won three gold medals and one silver medal in swimming for the United States. She later became a civil rights lawyer and has spent years advocating for women’s opportunities in sports. Her petition, launched on August 14, argues that the WNBA should restrict eligibility to biological females who have been female since birth.

Hogshead also points to her own Olympic experience, saying, “I underwent s*x verification myself. It was a simple cheek swab, and I know firsthand why clear eligibility standards matter. I only wish we’d had similarly effective safeguards to catch the systematic doping of East German women swimmers in my era.”

The campaign has since attracted support from several high-profile names, including tennis legend Martina Navratilova, former NBA star Charles Barkley, former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, and Lara Trump. The petition had passed 21,000 verified signatures by September 23. However, Hogshead’s move also comes as the WNBA faces pressure from Capitol Hill.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman and four other House Republicans recently sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert asking how the league defines “women” under its eligibility rules. The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA, but the lawmakers have questioned why the agreement does not publicly provide a more specific definition.

For Hogshead, the answer is clear. Her petition asks the WNBA to define the female category in biological terms and establish clear eligibility standards. But the debate over eligibility in women’s sports is not limited to basketball. 

IOC’s new Olympic eligibility policy draws criticism

The International Olympic Committee added to that discussion in March 2026 when it announced its Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport. The policy will take effect from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and applies to female-category events at IOC competitions. Under the new rules, eligibility for the women’s category will initially be determined through a one-time SRY gene screening.

But this policy has also drawn opposition from human-rights and LGBTQ+ organizations. There were concerns that mandatory genetic testing could discriminate against women with naturally occurring s** differences, according to Human Rights Watch. ILGA World and the Sport & Rights Alliance also expressed concern about the issue of s*x testing and the exclusion of transgender and inters*x athletes from the women’s category.

The dispute touches upon the broader debate about women’s competition in sports. The IOC states that its policy is designed to uphold fairness and integrity in the women’s section, but its critics believe it may disqualify some participants and that it has raised human rights issues.