Women’s Sports Don’t Need Saving

One of our culture’s most beloved storylines is the jock versus the nerd. But what happens when a person is a little bit of both? The Punk Rock Jock column explores the intersection of mainstream sports and DIY ethics.

A few weeks ago a couple of retired NBA athletes squeezed themselves into various media headlines by announcing that they now identified as women and would be declaring for next year’s WNBA draft. They claimed that they met all of the WNBA’s requirements, and reasoned that they were now ready to join the league. One of these men, we’ll just call him Jackass A, then attended a WNBA game while wearing a shirt that said “Woman: Noun, adult human female.”

Now, let me start this article by stating a few things. 1.) I am intentionally not naming the two men who are pulling this media stunt. Their names are unimportant, and they are unimportant. 2.) I am referring to them as men and using male pronouns, because they are men. No one on either side of this stupid story actually believes that they identify as women. And 3.) I did almost no research for this article, because this entire fiasco is rage-baiting
nonsense.

For those of you who may not know anything about this story, let’s back it up a bit. This entire story kicked off back in July, when WNBA player Sophia Cunningham made comments in an interview with ESPN stating that she thought only biological women should be allowed to play in women’s sports. Now, here’s a few things you should know about Sophia Cunningham: She’s a great player, she is teammates with Caitlin Clark, and she is renowned for saying anything she damn well pleases. For all these reasons, I love Sophia Cunningham.

But Sophia Cunningham is not an endocrinologist. Neither am I. We’re just two people with opinions. And as much as I love Cunningham, I don’t agree with her on this one. In fact, I probably don’t agree with her on most political or social issues. Cunningham is a NASCAR girl from Missouri who hangs out with Dana White. Chances are, she and I disagree on a lot of things.

Cunningham later stated that she never said she hated the trans community, and that she has love for everyone. And I believe her when she says that. But she’s an outspoken sports celebrity, and her words carry weight. Now every anti-trans group in America has rallied around this interview and are showing up at WNBA games with protest signs. Unlike Cunningham, these are people and groups who do hate trans-athletes, who do hate the trans community.

Then you get Jackass A and Jackass B, a pair of washed-up nobodies, pretending that they care about women. Pretending that they want to play in the WNBA. And it’s nothing more than a heel in professional wrestling, a troll making an offensive comment on a message board. It’s all a big joke to them, and nothing more than a way for them to gain more followers on social media and expand their brands, the only thing that truly matters in this pre-dystopian world of ours. (Sorry, I’ve been making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow!)

The MAGA-right has been attacking the transgender community for a decade now, convincing an uneducated group of voters that they must fight against a problem that doesn’t even exist. The WNBA is just the latest battleground for them. These people claim they want to keep transgender women out of the league. Okay, well, how many trans-women have ever played in the WNBA? Answer? Zero. None, ever. I know those beer-drinking rednecks already think that half the WNBA must really be men, but no, it’s not true.

Now, if anyone wants to have a legitimate conversation about the eligibility of trans-women in sports, then fine. Let’s debate. Conversation is good. (before we do, please read this article). But none of these protesters want real conversation. None of these groups actually care about the WNBA, and none of them actually care about women. Women’s sports don’t need saving. Women’s sports are doing better than they ever have in the history of our nation. Not only is the WNBA pulling in more fans and more money than it ever has, but the PWHL is about to start their fourth season. The PSL just finished their first season. Professional volleyball has been growing each year and is now being shown regularly on cable TV. Women’s sports are thriving right now. These anti-trans groups who claim they want to save women’s sports are all full of shit.

And when these groups claim that they want to keep women safe, they are again full of shit. Women need access to health care, they need equal pay, and they need to feel safe when they walk down the streets at night. Have any of these groups helped with that?

This whole mess is sort of a weird compliment for the WNBA. They’ve been around for thirty years and were largely ignored by the general public. But now they’ve gained enough popularity to be targeted by hate groups. Part of that attack stems from the fact that the WNBA is one of the most progressive sports leagues in our country. They are intentionally progressive and liberal in their policies and attitudes on all social issues, particularly sexual orientation. Not only are queer athletes accepted, but they are celebrated.

The WNBA has made immense strides in the past few years, and with that growth comes a lot of growing pains. They garner more attention now than they ever have, and that attention isn’t always positive. But the WNBA will be fine. They’ll get past this. If you are already a fan, then you know that the playoffs are just about to begin, and it’s going to be an exciting ending to an exciting season. If basketball isn’t really your thing, that’s okay, too. But whether we’re talking about sports, or society in general, just know that supporting women and supporting trans-women are the same thing. Anyone who pretends otherwise is coming into the conversation with their own ulterior motives, and we just don’t have time for that.