Julie Tétart had all but ruled out the possibility of ever playing in the WNBA. The 34-year-old French center thinks that her age is working against her and that there are simply better players competing at the highest level. But after her performance against a potential top-15 2027 WNBA Draft pick on Wednesday, she may have given those questioning her ability something to reconsider.
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In the Coupe de France round of 16, the 34-year-old Tétart outproduced 19-year-old Aïnhoa Risacher, a player widely projected as a top lottery pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Tétart finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, five steals, and two blocks in just 22 minutes. Meanwhile, Risacher ended the game with nine points, six rebounds, six assists, and six steals, despite playing more minutes. Risacher’s Lyon-ASVEL did win the game, beating Tétart’s Monaco 81-71. But the comparison between the two stat lines has drawn plenty of attention.
“It’s been a bad week for the WNBA fans who say French trans phenom Julie Tetart couldn’t make it in the league,” Outlook editor Joe Kinsey said.
And Kinsey is not alone in this school of thought. Many conservative sports commentators and social media users have pointed to Tétart’s strong stat lines to challenge the WNBA’s inclusion policies, or to dare the league to sign her, especially as the debate over transgender eligibility in the WNBA was especially pronounced throughout the 2026 season.
That debate was ignited after Sophie Cunningham publicly voiced her opposition to the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports, calling their exclusion a matter of “common sense” to protect biological females. An avalanche of discussion and debate from both sides of the issue has since followed across the league.
There were protests and counter-protests outside arenas, and players and coaches spoke out in support of the transgender community. Most notably, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt on the sideline during a game against Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever.
It was at the height of that conversation that Tétart was asked whether she would accept a call from a WNBA franchise.
“If they contact me, I won’t say no,” Tétart said. “But you have to be realistic, I’m old, and there are far better players than me. Obviously, it’s a childhood dream just like for any female basketball player, but unfortunately, it’s not possible.”
WNBA leadership has historically remained silent on explicit policy definitions for transgender women, and many observers have read that silence as a sign of the league’s unwillingness to say that it’s firmly against it.
For those who believe that the competitive and athletic differences between transgender women and cisgender women are significant, Tétart’s performance in France’s second division has become a particularly striking example and a reason why they think the WNBA should be explicit on its policy.
Alongside Tétart’s dominance in the French second division, her performance against Risacher’s team has given those on the other side of the argument fresh material. Whether it changes anything is another matter.
Tétart herself has been realistic about her chances, and the WNBA has given no sign that it intends to address the question publicly. But with the 2026 debate still fresh, every notable performance like this one is likely to be pulled back into the conversation.