PLANO, Texas - Talking about Jesus is pretty routine for Texans running for office. But usually not Democrats.
State Rep. James Talarico is changing the script, leaning into his background in a progressive Presbyterian seminary.
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It's a playbook that has helped propel his political career. Before he was the Democrats' hope to flip a Republican Senate seat in Texas, the state lawmaker often invoked the Bible to justify progressive policy positions in the Texas Capitol. Past floor speeches and sermons on abortion, gender equity and religious pluralism helped give him the online platform that launched his Senate run.
He is now making his faith a central part of his Senate campaign, telling voters "it's time to start flipping tables" and take back faith from the religious right - a reference to the biblical story of Jesus flipping over tables in the Temple of Jerusalem to purge merchants profiting off a house of worship. Talarico boils down his core message to two commandments from the Bible: Love God and love your neighbor.

#love #progressive

Why Fever's Stephanie White might have the 'toughest job in professional sports' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Stephanie White was greeted with applause Friday night before the Indiana Fever defeated the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
It was a marked departure from White's reception in the Fever's win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday, before which White had delivered a fiery speech defending her players from a number of recent controversies.
White arguably has the toughest job in the WNBA. In a span of three years, the Fever has transformed from an afterthought into a contender whose entire regular-season schedule has been broadcast on national television.
Indiana's trajectory as a franchise, for better and for worse, changed when it was afforded the chance to draft Caitlin Clark. Since she returned to the Fever in 2025, White has had to navigate Clark's superstardom while keeping All-Stars Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell engaged, and eliminating distractions prompted by Sophie Cunningham's clumsy comments about transgender participation in women's sports.

#sporting #preferred

Where to watch AVP Manhattan Beach Open: Channel, time, TV schedule, live stream for 2026 volleyball tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In the world of beach volleyball, it doesn't get much bigger than this. The 2026 AVP Manhattan Beach Open returns to Southern California this weekend.
Established in 1960, the Manhattan Beach Open has been championing the best in the sport for more than 65 years. This weekend's three-day competition will feature the biggest draw of the season and highest stakes, outside of the Championships coming soon to Chicago.
This annual tournament is held at the picturesque Manhattan Beach Pier, with the Pacific Ocean just feet away from main court. The bracket features a dual-gender 32-team main draw with a double-elimination format.
Be sure to tune in for this iconic event.

#preferred

By Amina Niasse
NEW YORK, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services accused dozens of hospitals and healthcare providers on Thursday of improperly ‌billing for gender-affirming care and referred them to the Office of Inspector General ‌and the Justice Department for investigation.
HHS released a report ***** led "Wolves in White Coats" that argued some gender-related treatments were paid for under unspecified conditions or, in some cases, based on diagnoses of early ***** rty. The report includes contributors who have been critical of gender-affirming care.
HHS said the providers billed for the therapies to treat minors aged 9 to 17, documenting an unspecified endocrine or hormone-related disorder diagnosis ‌rather than gender dysphoria. The report ⁠alleged inaccurate diagnoses resulted in payments from both private and government-sponsored health plans.
HHS said that as gender care for minors has grown, it has ⁠become a larger revenue source for hospitals, creating financial incentives for more frequent billing. Citing conservative medical advocacy organization Do No Harm, the agency said hospitals and clinics billed nearly $120 million for the services provided to minors since 2019.

#gender #billing

The debate over transgender women competing in elite women's sports has descended into a full-blown political firestorm.
The latest instigator was a now-viral interview by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who told ESPN in a July 21 article that she wants to "protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
The weeks that followed have been packed with political posturing, protests and provocative talk-show fodder, much of it aimed at dividing people much more than to actually support women's sports.
Amid the tension, a pair of former NBA players — Royce White and ex-Knicks center Enes Kanter Freedom — announced ulterior-motivated plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, ridiculously claiming they identify as women.
After a WNBA task force met Wednesday to discuss the situation, the league denounced any "bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."

#sports #political #girls

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — During this Hall of Fame weekend, nearly everyone would like the attention to be on basketball, but it's difficult to ignore the conversations that are swirling around the WNBA — especially with some of the league's greatest icons being enshrined.
The ongoing vitriol centered around race, gender and ***** uality makes for daily headlines. They are part of an undertone to fouls and physicality that have come with the evolution of women's skills, all of which overshadow the impressive play that can be seen during the WNBA's 30th year.
Hall of Famer Dawn Staley, who is getting inducted again Saturday with the 1996 Olympic women's basketball team, sees a positive side to the negativity. Staley said there are similar parallels between what the WNBA is going through and what the NBA went through in the early stages of its growth.
"All the big pieces and all the things that are happening from a racial standpoint, from an officiating standpoint are great. They're great because the NBA went through it — the NBA went through all of it," she said. "So this is just badges of honor. Will we get through it? We will get through it."
What the NBA had to deal with was who could play in the league. It was an all-white league when it was launched and there was resistance to integration. The WNBA has been hit lately with a narrative on whether transgender women — people ***** igned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to play in the league. There has never been one.

#play #went #league

Geno Auriemma says the increasingly heated debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA is focused on an eligibility situation the league is not currently facing.
The UConn women's basketball coach addressed the controversy in an interview with TMZ Sports published Aug. 14, arguing that people are treating a hypothetical eligibility question as though it is already affecting WNBA competition.
"Why are we making a big issue over an issue that doesn't exist?" Auriemma asked. He noted that he was unaware of any transgender women currently playing in the league or an immediate case requiring the WNBA to decide whether a particular player is eligible.
An anti-hate task force of team presidents and general managers met Aug. 12 and discussed transgender athletes along with online abuse directed at players, but the meeting produced no new eligibility rules.
Auriemma acknowledged that people are entitled to different opinions about transgender participation in women's sports. His objection was to the amount of attention being devoted to a question he does not see as an immediate WNBA problem.

#WNBA

President Donald Trump's goal of ending gender-affirming care is not improper and cannot be the basis for quashing a subpoena issued by the Justice Department against a provider of medical treatment for transgender youth, a divided federal appeals court ruled Friday.
The Justice Department announced last year that it had issued more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics that provide gender-affirming care as part of an effort to investigate healthcare fraud. Federal judges have quashed many of the subpoenas as illegitimate efforts to intimidate providers into ending care.
In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the efficacy and long-term risks of the treatments are "uncertain," and the president has the power to align the Justice Department's enforcement priorities with his broader policy goals.
"Every President has law enforcement priorities, just as every President has signature policies (often, the former are components of the latter)," Judge Carlos Bea wrote.
Bea, a nominee of Republican President George W. Bush, was joined in the opinion by Daniel Bress, a Trump nominee. They reversed a ruling that quashed the subpoena against telemedicine provider QueerDoc, sending the case back to the district court to consider other arguments.

#department #appeals

The WNBA has been caught up in a whirlwind of controversy surrounding transgender athletes competing. Hosts, reporters and political figures have been stepping forward to speak up on the subject, creating an even more polarizing situation for all involved.
Founder of XX-XY Athletics Jennifer Sey is one of many expressing her thoughts on the matter, recently taking to X, formerly Twitter, to weigh in.
On Aug. 14, Sey shared an X post written by The Wall Street Journal which stated, "This should have been a history-making season for the WNBA. Instead a cloud of chaos seems to have settled around the entire league, as the games themselves are overtaken by petty feuds, public spats over fouls and a fixation on transgender policy."
In sharing the post, Sey added, "It's not a fixation. And it's not a transgender policy. It's a no men in women's sports policy we want. And it's bigger than the WNBA. This is about truth and clarity around women's rights. Which don't exist if men can be considered women if they just announce that they are."
Sey, a National Champion herself, has been a leading voice for those who are seeking rigid guidelines regarding transgender athletes competing in women's sports. As noted on her XX-XY Athletics website, Sey's company follows a clear mission.

#WNBA

The Trump administration on Tuesday finalized a rule that will bar Medicaid from covering gender identity healthcare for children enrolled in the government's low-income insurance program.
The new policy prohibits states from using federal Medicaid funds to pay for any gender identity care for enrollees under 18, marking the administration's latest effort to restrict youth access to transgender healthcare.
President Donald Trump celebrated the move in a Truth Social post, touting it as necessary to crack down on "barbaric surgeries and practices, which result in unthinkable and irreversible harm to their young bodies."
"Just think about all the young, innocent, and perhaps confused children who will be spared!" Trump wrote on social media.
The president has sought to make transgender care a central issue in the run-up to the midterms, frequently describing such gender identity healthcare procedures in graphic terms and claiming, without evidence, that swaths of children are being pressured to secretly transition without their parents' knowledge.

#gender

Another ex-NBA player just declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Former Milwaukee Bucks big man Larry Sanders has joined Royce White and Enes Freedom Kanter in "challenging" the WNBA's definition of gender.
Sanders on Wednesday "declared" for the 2027 WNBA Draft, following the lead of White and Freedom last week.
"I understand that the rules to get in are somewhat controversial, but I'm gonna take advantage of those rules," Sanders said from his car in a two-minute video posted to Instagram.
MORE: Why former NBA player says he's declaring for the WNBA

#white #former #rules

Bella Ramsey's friendship with Pedro Pascal on "The Last of Us" generated plenty of buzz among fans, but the 22-year-old actor can't seem to understand the fuss about it.
In a recent interview, Ramsey, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them **** ouns, hinted that their relationship has changed and admitted it was "sort of weird to talk about it."
They also discussed their **** uality, explaining that they're not "100% straight," and said they aren't particularly bothered by being misgendered as long as people remain respectful.
Bella Ramsey suggested they and Pedro Pascal are no longer as close as they once appeared to be following the buzz they generated on "The Last of Us." In a recent interview with The Guardian, the Emmy-nominated actor revealed that the pair are now "loosely in touch."
Ramsey and Pascal's relationship became a major talking point after the first installment of the hit series, in which his character, Joel, was tasked with escorting their character, Ellie, across the United States following the collapse of society caused by a mass fungal infection that turns its hosts into zombie-like creatures.

#ramsey #bella #buzz

The conversation around trans athletes and the WNBA has broken containment as former NBA athletes turned conservative media characters Enes Kanter and Royce White step in with a publicity stunt to attempt to play in the women's league.
Gender politics suddenly took over WNBA news last month when Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham shared her desire to keep transgender women out of women's sports locker rooms in a profile at ESPN. While Cunningham's initial comments centered on youth sports, others quickly took the baton to weave a story around how the WNBA itself could be overtaken by transgender women.
Since Kanter and White's ****** ouncements, right-wing commentators have expressed glee toward the pair's efforts to undermine WNBA rules regarding who can compete in its league. But this week, former ESPN ****** yst Ryan Clark had some choice words for them in a recent video for his podcast, The Pivot.
"If we are men, and as former athletes, and we understand how hard it is to get respect in the game, don't make a mockery about what these women are going through. Don't make jokes about things you'll never understand," he said.
"Stay out of it. If you don't have some input, either right or wrong, that could be impactful or helpful, let these people be. Because dudes who could never play who want to make jokes about something that is incredibly serious are absolute clowns."

#WNBA #don 't #former #play

Rosie O'Donnell opened up about navigating her ****** uality in the public eye
O'Donnell remembered that when she hosted her eponymous talk show, she was clear about her obsession with Tom Cruise, but not all fans understood that she didn't mean she wanted to sleep with him
O'Donnell called herself "100% gay" and said she's a "proud" member of the LGBTQ+ family
Rosie O'Donnell had to clear up a little confusion when she came out as a lesbian.
O'Donnell, 64, opened up on the Aug. 11 episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler. During the episode, Poehler, 54, noted that conversations about "sexuality and gender" have evolved a lot since the '90s and "everything is so much more open."

#cruise

Royce White isn't shy about confidence. The former Houston Rockets first-round pick, who played briefly for the Sacramento Kings before his NBA career fizzled, has never had a problem saying the loud thing out loud.
After Sophie Cunningham started facing heat for taking a stand against the anti-trans athlete debate, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
White declared his intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, telling reporters he now identifies as transgender for the purposes of professional basketball, and in an interview with Matt Gaetz, he took shots at Caitlin Clark.
The moment came during an appearance on Matt Gaetz's show, when Gaetz pushed White on the obvious question: what happens in the locker room. Would he feel out of place?
White didn't dodge it. "I think I'd probably be the marginalized one in that environment," he said, then added, only half-joking, that the league might have to build him his own locker room. "That would be quite the twist of fate."

#white #room

The WNBA draft-eligibility stunt pulled by former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White has already drawn plenty of pushback from inside basketball circles. But this week it caught the attention of someone from a completely different world.
Six-time Grammy winner Gino Borri used his podcast to rip into both men, saving his sharpest jabs for White, accusing him of simply following Kanter into the controversy.
Kanter, the former New York Knicks center, sparked the latest controversy around the WNBA's ongoing transgender athlete debate when he announced that he plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
The former No. 3 overall NBA pick said he had reviewed the WNBA's eligibility rules and believes he meets the requirements under its current framework.
It wasn't long before White — a former first-round pick out of Iowa State followed with a nearly identical declaration after claiming he identifies as transgender for the purpose of playing professional basketball.

#controversy

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington said her flagrant foul Aug. 8 against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was unfortunate and unintentional. She also clarified her "white privilege" post on social media was not in response to being given the foul.
"It's just who I am. I'm never going to just let an open layup be had," Carrington told reporters Monday, Aug. 10, before the team's road game against the Seattle Storm. "You can pull clips from, I don't know, however many seasons of me making that (play). Obviously I'm just coming back from injury, so maybe my timing or my lift wasn't where it needs to get. It was unfortunate I made contact with her in the way that I did, but it was never intentional."
Carrington made her season debut for the Sky on July 30 after recovering from a foot injury. She was ejected from their game against the Fever for a flagrant foul penalty 2, which is given for "unnecessary and excessive" contact, according to the WNBA rulebook.
Carrington, who is Black, fouled Cunningham from behind on a fast-break layup late in the first quarter of the nationally-televised game at the United Center in Chicago. Cunningham, who is white, was knocked to the court from the impact. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant 2 after officials determined Carrington wound up and followed through on the contact with Cunningham's head and neck.
Cunningham recently made headlines for her comments on transgender athletes, and Carrington emphasized that had nothing to do with the on-court situation.

#carrington #cunningham #flagrant

A major bill seeking to regulate college sports hit a roadblock in the Senate last week despite lawmakers racing to have the framework approved before leaving Washington for a scheduled five-week recess.
The long-stalled Protect College Sports Act, which would establish federal regulations for name, image and likeness deals for student-athletes, was injected with sudden momentum last week — but that progress quickly sputtered out as the week came to a close. Among other concerns, some lawmakers raised objections that the bill could create legal loopholes in states that have laws restricting transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.
A group of attorneys general from six red states, including Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, wrote a letter to the two main sponsors of the bill to urge changes before it's brought to the floor for a vote.
"For decades, the integrity of women's sports has been under attack by those pursuing a radical transgender agenda at the expense of the safety of female athletes and equal athletic opportunity," the state attorney general wrote in the letter, which was sent to lawmakers on Friday and obtained by the Deseret News.
The Protect College Sports Act is a sweeping proposal to regulate college athletics by creating a national framework dealing with NIL deals, athlete compensation, media rights, revenue sharing, transfer eligibility, and more. Bipartisan lawmakers behind the legislation have argued federal guidelines are crucial to absolve confusion from 50 states operating under different rules.

#sports #Attorney

Enes Kanter Freedom is a man who says he should be eligible to play in the WNBA.
WNBA rules state simply that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." They do not clarify if transgender women are eligible, but the league's commissioner stated in a memo that leaders will discuss the topic this week.
Freedom, a retired NBA player, declared his intent to enter the 2027 WNBA draft in two social media videos posted on Friday. Another former NBA player, Royce White, followed Freedom's lead.
White is on Tuesday's Republican primary ballot for one of Minnesota's seats in the U.S. Senate. He failed to win a nomination in 2022 for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2024, he earned the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat, but lost to Amy Klobuchar in the general election, 56.2% to 40.5%.
"I'm transgender," White told Fox News. "I identify, sometimes, as a woman, for purposes of basketball. I think I'd be unstoppable.

#freedom #republican #women

Sometimes, putting out a sign actually works.
Young adults at the LGBTQ+ program Summer of Sass got quite the surprise Friday when Dylan Mulvaney unexpectedly showed up at the organization's annual Strawberry Social fundraiser in Provincetown.
It started when Salem, a Summer of Sass participant who works at the Provincetown Theater, learned that the transgender actress and influencer was in town and planned to attend a nearby show that night. Salem had an idea: Why not invite her to the Strawberry Social?
Juniper Kristal Starling, another participant, suggested putting up signs leading to the Sass House.
"Ultimately, I don't think anyone expected it to work," Juniper tells Out.

#sass #provincetown #participant

While J.K. Rowling became a household name as the author of the wildly popular "Harry Potter" books, she's spent the past several years making headlines for a very different reason. Rowling's views on the trans community have drawn widespread scrutiny, particularly since the COVID-19 era, with critics accusing her of transphobia. Several "Harry Potter" alumni have since spoken out against her comments, making their own positions on transgender rights clear. Now, another member of the franchise has done the same.
Bel Powley, who will play Petunia Dursley in the upcoming "Harry Potter" series coming to Max this winter, spoke with The Telegraph and said she was completely against the author's comments about transgender people.
"I strongly disagree with J.K. Rowling's views on gender," she said. "I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance. But I love Harry Potter. I grew up with the books. I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness."
Powley's comments come after the famed author made headlines after speaking about trans people. In 2019, Rowling shared a post on X in support of Maya Forstater, a researcher who brought a discrimination claim against her employers after claiming her contract wasn't renewed after she made a series of posts arguing that biological ****** is unchangeable.
"Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that ****** is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill ," Rowling posted on X.

#rowling #comments #headlines

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham shared her opinion on the debate over transgender athletes competing in girls' and women's sports a few weeks ago.
These initial comments have sparked countless thoughts on the matter, going beyond the usual boundaries of sports news. This has reached both mainstream and fringe news, with everyone chiming in.
That includes a former gymnast, Jennifer Sey.
Sey is the CEO and founder of XX-XY Athletics, a company with the following mission statement: "We are unapologetic about our goal. We are here to protect women's sports and ****** es."
Sey spoke with Fox News about the news surrounding former NBA players Royce White and Enes Freedom, who claim they want to join the 2027 WNBA Draft by identifying as women.

#former #fever #cunningham #athletics

A second former NBA player now says he plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Just hours after Enes Kanter Freedom announced that he planned to enter, Royce White, who is also running in Minnesota's Aug. 11 Republican Primary for Senate, told Fox News that he also plans to enter the draft.
"I'm transgender. I'm a woman." White told Fox. "I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I'll be declaring for the WNBA Draft in 2027 as well."
No transgender or male player has ever played in the WNBA. The league's collective bargaining agreement says that only women can play in the league.
Nevertheless, after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham told ESPN that she was against transgender athletes competing in women's sports, debate has stirred. And the subject of transgender athletes or men playing in the WNBA has been at the forefront of discussion for many right-wing influencers on social media.

#WNBA #told #woman

A second former NBA player now says he plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Just hours after Enes Kanter Freedom announced that he planned to enter, Royce White, who is also running in Minnesota's Aug. 11 Republican Primary for Senate, told Fox News that he also plans to enter the draft.
"I'm transgender. I'm a woman." White told Fox. "I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I'll be declaring for the WNBA Draft in 2027 as well."
No transgender or male player has ever played in the WNBA. The league's collective bargaining agreement says that only women can play in the league.
Nevertheless, after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham told ESPN that she was against transgender athletes competing in women's sports, debate has stirred. And the subject of transgender athletes or men playing in the WNBA has been at the forefront of discussion for many right-wing influencers on social media.

#told #plans

The final stretch of the WNBA's regular season has been highlighted by off-court discussions rather than on-court play. The role of transgender athletes in women's sports has become a highly debated topic throughout the league.
A politician recently spoke out on the issue after former NBA player Enes Kanter declared for the WNBA draft.
Cruz spoke out after Kanter Freedom recently expressed interest in joining the WNBA, comparing him to NBA icon Wilt Chamberlain.
Cruz said on X, "He's going to break Wilt's record of 100 points in a single game."
Kanter Freedom officially declared for next year's WNBA Draft after reviewing the league's framework for player eligibility.

#kanter #cruz #draft

Former NBA forward Royce White made waves earlier this week by declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
The 35-year-old has now made a wild prediction that even LeBron James could join him in the league after retiring from the NBA.
Following his head-turning statement about declaring for the WNBA Draft, White appeared on Fox News on Sunday morning. The No. 16 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft claimed that the trans-athlete debate was necessary and criticized the WNBA for its eligibility criteria.
"It's just astounding that the WNBA can't define the W in the name. I think we're going through a very necessary conversation about who's actually eligible to play in some of these professional sports leagues, I guess on both sides of the gender spectrum," White said.
White, who is a Republican candidate in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota, joined fellow ex-NBA player Enes Freedom in declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft. He added that his goal was to help "elevate the WNBA" and boost attendance across the league.

#WNBA #declaring #royce #lebron

In a memo sent to team presidents, general managers and coaches Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert advised the league's leaders on their approach to the topic of transgender participation in women's sports. The commissioner stressed approaching it with integrity and respect, without specifically defining the league's stance.
The issue has dominated conversation around the WNBA in the wake of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's recent comments in favor of excluding trans athletes from women's sports.
Engelbert listed three guiding principles for the league in the discussion but did not clarify whether or not trans athletes are allowed to play in the WNBA.
"First, we will always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the long-standing values of our league," she wrote in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic. "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."
There is no mention of trans athletes in the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement, although the document does state that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."

#integrity

Despite many public hopes that the WNBA would be able to return to basketball, two fouls during Saturday's game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky essentially ensured that the media cycle the league has been stuck in for the past two weeks would continue.
The first foul will get most of the attention. In the first quarter, Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was chasing down Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Carrington was behind the play, jumped, and brought her arm down on Cunningham's face. After a review, officials decided that Carrington had wound up, made contact, and followed through, elevating the foul to a Flagrant 2 and ejecting her from the game.
Cunningham, of course, sparked controversy two weeks ago due to comments regarding transgender athletes in a story published on ESPN.
"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said in the story. "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
"I'm very much in the middle," she said of her political leanings. "I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that's all I've ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to ***** ume."

#fever #foul #down

A second former NBA player now says he plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Just hours after Enes Kanter Freedom announced that he planned to enter, Royce White, who is also running in Minnesota's Aug. 11 Republican Primary for Senate, told Fox News that he also plans to enter the draft.
"I'm transgender. I'm a woman." White told Fox. "I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I'll be declaring for the WNBA Draft in 2027 as well."
No transgender or male player has ever played in the WNBA. The league's collective bargaining agreement says that only women can play in the league.
Nevertheless, after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham told ESPN that she was against transgender athletes competing in women's sports, debate has stirred. And the subject of transgender athletes or men playing in the WNBA has been at the forefront of discussion for many right-wing influencers on social media.

#enter #player #Basketball

The worst people you know have taken the fear-mongering over transgender athletes and the WNBA all the way to its most illogical conclusion.
To be clear, there has never been a transgender athlete in the WNBA. Ever. There are no transgender athletes competing in the NWSL or other major women's pro sports leagues in the United States either. There is now a very clear Olympic ban on transgender athletes competing in female competitions. The Supreme Court has upheld state bans. And the NCAA reported in 2024 that there were fewer than ten trans athletes competing across the entirety of college athletics.
However, Sophie Cunningham's comments on trans athletes were a bat signal for the anti-trans machine to kick into overdrive. The last couple of weeks have been an incredibly predictable culture wars saga with Riley Gaines showing up for photo ops, Fox News suddenly finding an interest in the WNBA against the wishes of their own hosts, and the entire facade being used as an opportunity for hateful rhetoric to flourish.
But the absurdity was taken to a whole new level on Friday when NBA veteran turned political opportunist Enes Kanter "declared" himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. He was followed by Minnesota Senate candidate and all-around weird dude Royce White, who did likewise.
This, of course, is stupid. It's nothing more than an idiotic stunt designed to get 15 minutes of attention for their grift and bring increased abuse and mockery to the real transgender community.

#transgender #athletes #competing #ever