One of the most prominent controversies surrounding the WNBA since late July has been the inclusion and eligibility of transgender athletes in women’s sports, and specifically in the W. In fact, Cathy Engelbert, who has now confirmed she will be retiring as WNBA commissioner in December, has faced heavy criticism for deflecting and not providing a definitive policy on the matter. So it’s not surprising that a section of the fans, and everyone who has been closely following the issue, will be interested in whatever stance any incoming successor will maintain on this issue.

In light of this, former WNBA star and Basketball Hall of Famer Swin Cash, whose name has been floated as a potential successor, has now found herself under scrutiny after some of her old X posts began resurfacing. The posts, which she shared in 2017, appeared to have now confirmed that she’s definitely on the pro-trans side of the divide.

“The number of suicides by our youth, especially LGBTQ kids, is startling! So forgive me if I prioritize real ish going on in 🌎& spreading love,” Cash wrote in one post.

“Transgender kids already have to deal with issues now our gov targets them abt bathrooms😒Keep up ppl, every day new attacks keep coming…” she wrote in another.

Her posts came as a reaction to the Trump administration rescinding the Obama-era directive for schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity as part of Title IX policy.

According to Declan Walsh of CT Insider, Swin Cash now appears to be the leading candidate among a list of other prospective WNBA commissioner candidates. That list includes New York Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, WNBA head of operations Bethany Donaphin, Nike vice president of global sports marketing Tanya Hvizdak, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, Golden State Valkyries president Jess Smith, and NBA deputy commissioner and COO Mark Tatum.

Cash was a player herself in the WNBA, winning the WNBA championship three times and having a career that spanned 15 years. Walsh also revealed that she has been actively associated with basketball beyond her career as a player.

“A prominent executive and investor in the basketball world over the past decade.”

She has been involved in various front-office roles, serving as Director of Franchise Development for the New York Liberty, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, and as Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the same franchise. Cash also currently serves as the Board President for the Women’s Sports Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Billie Jean King.

Beyond the scope of basketball alone, Cash also has a degree of experience on the business side of things. It’s a skill that may prove essential with the WNBA still actively trying to grow its finances. She was a notable part of the WNBA’s historic $75 million capital raise in 2022.

However, while Cash does have the qualifications and experience, her now publicly established position on the transgender topic definitely influences the perception of her potential candidacy, especially among those in the WNBA fanbase who champion the opposition to trans athletes in women’s sports.

Whether or not this issue eventually influences her chances of emerging as the eventual WNBA commissioner remains to be seen. But one thing it definitely does is create a biased impression in the minds of some fans, who may believe that Cash’s stance on the issue could influence how she approaches one of the most controversial topics facing the league.