Nancy Hogshead-Makar Petitions WNBA for Female-Only Rules With 20,000 Signatures
Updated
Updated · The National Desk · Sep 17
Nancy Hogshead-Makar Petitions WNBA for Female-Only Rules With 20,000 Signatures
3 articles · Updated · The National Desk · Sep 17
Summary
More than 20,000 verified people have signed Nancy Hogshead-Makar’s petition urging the WNBA to define “woman” in its player eligibility rules and adopt female-only criteria.
The push follows a summer-long league dispute after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said biological males do not belong in women’s sports, triggering protests, backlash and public criticism from players and coaches.
The WNBA’s current contract says only women can play but does not define the term; a league task force condemned “bad faith actors” while leaving the category unresolved, and the league says no immediate eligibility case is pending.
Hogshead-Makar, a three-time 1984 Olympic gold medalist and civil rights attorney, said leagues should set policy before a specific athlete becomes the focus, citing the earlier controversy around NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas.