Sydney Sweeney‘s controversial Novig ad has become the talk of the town in the last few days. The sports betting advert featured Sweeney with different kinds of sporting equipment, like a football, a baseball, and a soccer ball. Many have argued that the ad reinforces the objectification of women rather than celebrating their monumental sporting achievements. Amid the mounting criticism, civil rights lawyer Nancy Hogshead has shifted the goalposts towards the WNBA and has urged them to make their stance clear on the gender debate in the league. She has received support from Martina Navratilova.
“Why is an actress’s nude ad for gambling a bigger scandal to some than the systematic exclusion of biological females from their own sport?” Hogshead wrote on X. “The @WNBA’s silence on eligibility is deafening. We need clear rules that prioritize women.”
Navratilova, who has been a very vocal figure in the gender debate, expressed support for Hogshead through a post of her own. The tennis legend has made her stance fairly clear on the matter and wants transgender women to not be included in events reserved for women. While she may be a pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights, she simply wants biological females to be treated fairly.
The debate around the participation of trans women in events reserved for women had exploded after the WTA took a controversial initiative in July. They made it compulsory for all players on the circuit to undergo gene testing in order to stay eligible for participation on the Tour.
The test screens for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development and indicates the presence of testes. Testing positive doesn’t automatically bar a player from participating in the tournaments, but it does render them ineligible for the women’s category. With no transgender women currently present on the WTA circuit, most players had no problem with the initiative.
Unlike the WTA, the WNBA has a very different opinion on the matter. The league has criticized those who are trying to create a narrative around the participation of transgender women in the league. They have also stated that there are no immediate eligibility issues currently affecting the league.
There are also figures in the WNBA who have openly expressed support for transgender athletes. This includes Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who even wore a T-shirt reading “Trans Kids Belong” during a game against the Indiana Fever.
While trans athletes are receiving support from WNBA figures, the same can’t be said about the rest of the world. Their participation in events reserved for women has especially taken a major hit in Britain. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) introduced new rules to restrict their participation after the WTA announced the gene testing initiative.
The LTA recently updated its policy around the participation of transgender women in competitive events. The new policy came into effect from September 1 and banned all transgender players from competing in events reserved solely for women.
The policy applies to all tournaments that are overseen by the LTA, but doesn’t affect international tournaments held in Britain like Wimbledon, WTA events in Queen’s, Eastbourne, Nottingham, Challenger and ITF events.
The LTA had previously tightened its policy in 2024, banning transgender women from county, national and inter-club women’s competitions while leaving internal club events up to individual clubs. The organization has long argued that tennis is a “gender-affected” sport because factors like reach and power can give physical advantage to an average male player. This decision follows a broader pattern in British sport as a whole.
Notably, several sports governing bodies have restricted the participation of transgender athletes. This includes the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Football Association, both of whom banned transgender women from women’s competitive events last year.