WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has sent a memo to teams that addresses ongoing discussions around transgender athletes in women's basketball.
“I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention,” Engelbert wrote in the memo, which was sent Friday afternoon and obtained by The Associated Press. “I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism.”
The memo said the topic will be discussed further by a task force of team presidents and general managers at a previously scheduled meeting next week.
In an ESPN article published last month, Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. Cunningham's comments sparked small rallies and protests in Seattle and Portland when the Fever were on the road last week.
There was a lone protester at the Fever's home game against Las Vegas on Thursday night. Indiana visits Chicago on Saturday. Members of two conservative groups are planning a rally in support of Cunningham ahead of that game.
The league hasn’t made any public comments on the issue.
Engelbert wrote that the league will “always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league. Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained. Lastly, preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league’s highest priorities.”
The league's collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but it does not include any more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth. On Friday, two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.
“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,” Engelbert said in the memo. “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.”
The WNBA players' association released a statement on social media Friday that emphasized diversity and inclusion while saying the group “will not be used as political pawns.”
“We embrace justice equity, diversity, and inclusion,” the statement read. “Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change. Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.”
Some WNBA players and coaches have come out in support of transgender athletes, including Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.
“We need to protect trans kids,” Reeve said on Aug. 1. “To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports.”
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham stands on the court during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks to media at a news conference before a WNBA All-Star basketball game between Team Coop and Team Spoon in Chicago, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — Few people have anything bad to say about Darline Graham, who was catapulted from obscurity last month when she was appointed to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham in the U.S. Senate.
“I think Darline’s wonderful,” said Kathy Bustos of Mount Pleasant, after attending a Republican forum last week.
But that doesn't mean Bustos wants to vote for her in the state's special primary on Tuesday.
“I think it’s a very nice gesture for her to have the rest of his term to complete, but I’m not sure that she’s really qualified or ready to be elected to the Senate,” she said.
It's a common sentiment among Republican voters pondering an unexpected decision about replacing Lindsey Graham, who was nominated for a fifth term before he died from a tear in his aorta. Darline Graham was often by his side throughout his career, but she remains largely unknown in South Carolina's clubby political circles.
President Donald Trump has endorsed her, and she's backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is running television advertising to support her candidacy.
However, Graham has been largely absent from the campaign trail, spending most of her time in Washington as an interim senator. Her appointment to the role, instead of giving her a leg up over the competition, may ultimately hold her back by preventing her from getting to know voters during a weeks-long sprint to Tuesday.
She is up against several well-known Republicans, including Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, as well as former Gov. Mark Sanford. The crowded field makes a runoff more likely, and it would be held on Aug. 25.
All of them spoke at a Friday meeting of the Fourth District Republican Club in Greenville, but Graham sent a video message, saying she was “in Washington working hard for you." She promised to be "a great friend and ally” to Trump and that she wanted to “earn your vote.”
And at a candidate event in Florence on Saturday, where Graham was expected to speak, some of her supporters said they backed the interim senator’s decision to stay in Washington, even if it meant not campaigning.
“She committed to not missing votes or not being there to push forward with those bills,” said Teresa Castrinos, who made the hours-long drive from Bluffton to see Graham. “I feel like she’s putting South Carolina first. She’s wanting to fulfill her time as a senator right now, so I really admire her for that.”
While Lindsey Graham was single and well known around the world, his sister lived a relatively quiet life with her husband and daughters in Lexington, South Carolina. She spent years in state government, working with people with disabilities and as agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
So far, her only public campaign event was a candidate forum in Lexington. Charles Brentnell of Greenville County, who was still considering his options, said he liked her decision to stay in Washington when the Senate was in session.
“Let’s keep the Senate at the Senate instead of taking a month off for no good reason,” he said.
Graham also participated in one of two televised debates, where she backed Trump's plan to change filibuster rules to make it easier to pass strict proof-of-citizenship voting legislation.
While other candidates came to speak to the media gathered afterward, Graham skipped the session and merely gave a thumbs-up outside when asked how she felt the debate had gone.
In contrast to her loquacious late brother, Graham has not spoken with reporters in Capitol Hill hallways or fielded questions on the stump.
She's spoken at length to Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Trey Gowdy, both of whom eulogized Lindsey Graham at memorial services last month, and granted two interviews to local news outlets.
A second debate took place while Graham was in Washington on Tuesday, a date her campaign pointed out had been scheduled despite the senator’s conflict.
Gigi Bray of Charleston said the idea of Darline Graham serving in the interim makes sense, but electing her to a full term does not.
“I think it’s a great honor for her to hold her brother’s spot till November, but it’s time for a change,” said Bray, who backs Sanford. “I don’t think she has a lot of government experience, and I think right now, with the state of our country, I think it’s very important that somebody has experience.”
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., leaves the stage after speaking at a South Carolina Republican Senate candidate stump event ahead of the special GOP primary to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Lexington, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks with voters following a Senate candidate stump event ahead of a special GOP primary to select a replacement for her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Lexington, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks with voters following a Senate candidate stump event ahead of a special GOP primary to select a replacement for her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Lexington, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., addresses a crowd at a campaign event for Republicans vying in a special Senate primary to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., from left, seated alongside daughter Nicole Nordone and husband Larry Nordone, looks on as a South Carolina Republican Senate candidate stump event gets underway ahead of the special GOP primary to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Lexington, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
