A fourth WNBA head coach has addressed the topic of trans athletes in women’s sports in a three-day span.
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase became the latest coach to face a question about the issue during a pre-game press conference on Sunday, ahead of the team’s win against the Toronto Tempo.
Nakase, who is the reigning WNBA Coach of The Year, was asked about the recent rallies in support of Sophie Cunningham’s stance in protecting women’s sports. She responded by appearing to defend the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports.
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“I think just in terms of how I’m seeing it is, if I can answer, for me sports is about belonging. It’s about inclusivity. It’s about allowing everyone to be their authentic self,” Nakase said.
The coach then referenced her ethnicity. Nakase is a third-generation Japanese-American, she previously became the first Asian American to play in the National Women’s Basketball League (NWBL).
“I’m big on that because I have been criticized for my height, for my ethnicity. I’ve been in those ‘you shouldn’t belong here,’ [moments] and for me I don’t want that space, especially Golden State, to ever feel like that. “I’m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that includes trans women. So I’m all about inclusivity.”
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Tennis legend Martina Navratilova posted on X that the “ignorance is astounding.”
Nakase now joins Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White, Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve and Portland Fire coach Alex Sarama in addressing the issue in recent days.
White, who oversees superstars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, gave her answer during a pre-game press conference on Friday.
“I don’t know that I would say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint. I don’t ever believe that exclusion is the answer. I just don’t. I do think that when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport, and things that go into that, like I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up I played with the boys all the time,” White answered.
Sarama was also asked whether biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports before his team took on the Fever on Friday, but didn’t give a straight answer.
“My focus is as a basketball coach. To be completely honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had to think about that. I’m completely supportive of people from all communities, people from all walks of life, so that’s my stance, completely, I’m support of everyone in the Portland community,” Sarama said.
Then on Saturday, Reeve was asked ahead of her team’s Sunday game against the Fever.
Reeve defended the right of “Save Women’s Sports” demonstrators to gather outside Sunday’s game, but also said that the scenario of “biological men” in girls’ locker rooms is “not the case.”
“It is not the case that we have ‘biological men’ in girls’ locker rooms. The way it’s being phrased, the innuendo there that transgender women are predators of some kind in the locker room. There’s a lot of narrative that is problematic that we need to address,” she said.
Reeve suggested she is not concerned about any safety issues as a result of the rally.
“I don’t think we should feel like our safe space is being threatened,” Reeve told reporters on Saturday. “I don’t think these demonstrators are not being peaceful, not that I’ve seen. I haven’t seen all of it. I haven’t heard everything that’s happening. But everyone has a right to peacefully assemble, whether you agree with them or not.”
The national debate over trans athletes in women’s sports has gripped the WNBA after Cunningham revealed her stance on the issue in an ESPN article last month. The three allies that have taken place at Fever games since then have garnered mainstream national attention.
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The third rally in Minneapolis on Sunday was the biggest one yet, and featured more confrontational exchanges between the “Save Women’s Sports” protesters and the pro-trans counterprotesters than the first two rallies, as seen in footage posted to social media.