Cathy Engelbert is facing yet another wave of criticism amid the debate about the WNBA’s stance on trans athletes in women’s sports. Engelbert and the WNBA have been facing criticism about the officiating consistency since the season began. Now, former NCAA swimmer turned activist Riley Gaines, who has already publicly supported Sophie Cunningham’s opposition to trans athletes competing in women’s sports, has criticized the commissioner.
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During a segment on her Riley Gaines Show, the conservative commentator questioned Engelbert’s leadership, focusing on the meeting called by the commissioner to “discuss the topic of transgender athletes in women’s basketball,” per a Front Office Sports report from August 9.
“If you have to have a meeting to figure out what a woman is, then you’re not fit to lead an organization, even if that organization is one that loses about $50 million every single year,” Gaines said in a clip posted to X on August 12.
“Here’s my message to Cathy Engelbert. I’ve got a farm, and on my farm I have a heifer, and I have a bull. The bull is equipped with horns and all. If Cathy Engelbert is confused about gender, I would invite her to come milk my bull and see how well that works for her.”
The league’s CBA does not specify any criteria for transgender women to compete, instead laying out that “only players who are women are eligible to play” according to Article 13, Section 1 of the document.
The meeting was preceded by a memo sent to several WNBA teams by Cathy Engelbert, and according to ESPN, a team of team presidents and general managers was being assembled to discuss the issue in detail over the week following the message.
“We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead,” the memo read.
“We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.”
Since then, the league has taken the conversation further. The assembled team met on August 12 and concluded that the WNBA doesn’t have any immediate eligibility issues that need addressing.
This follows two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, having declared themselves eligible for the 2027 draft after claiming they identify as women, and the league denounced it as a “bad-faith” argument.
This is not the first time Gaines has shown opposition to the inclusion of trans people in women’s sports in the context of the WNBA. Following the aftermath of Sophie Cunningham’s ESPN profile on July 21, where she opposed the topic, Gaines showed up at the Indiana Fever’s game against the Minnesota Lynx on August 1. She held a sign in support of Cunningham’s comments and even took pictures with her after the game.
For now, the WNBA is trying to keep the conversation within the league.