WNBA All-Star Gabby Williams has stepped forward amid the heated debate, showing strong support for transgender athletes.
The Golden State Valkyries forward said she would “welcome” having a transgender player in the league – either as an opponent or a teammate.
The ongoing battle over transgender rights and whether biological males should be allowed to compete against women was sparked by Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham last month during an interview with ESPN.
Since then, the issue has become a hot-button topic in the sports world, with fellow WNBA players, commentators, politicians and athletes from other sports weighing in.
Williams has now entered the fray and provided perhaps the biggest show of support yet for transgender athletes.
What did Gabby Williams say?
“I think trans rights, right now, is our new battle,” Williams said in a recent interview. “We see people’s trans rights being stripped away from them. There’s a lot of discourse around trans athletes and what they can compete in.
“I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team, anytime,” Williams added. “I don’t think it’s a problem in the world.”
Williams’ comments have come to light shortly after Julie Tetart, a French transgender basketball player who posted dominant numbers this past season, said that they would be open to playing in the WNBA.
At 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds, Tetart was a dominant force for Monaco during the 2025-26 Ligue 2 season. The centre led the league in both scoring and rebounding, averaging an astounding 21.2 points and 20.2 rebounds per game.
What did Tetart say about playing in the WNBA?
As the debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports rages on, Tetart was asked about the possibility of playing in the WNBA.
“If they contact me, I won’t say no,” Tetart told OutKick on Monday. “But you have to be realistic: I’m old, and there are far better players than me!”
Tetart, who is 34 years old, did say that it would be a dream to play in the league, but there is one thing that may hold them back.
“Obviously, it’s a childhood dream just like for any female basketball player, but unfortunately, it’s not possible,” Tetart told the outlet. “The league, yes. The country, no, ha ha.”
What is the WNBA’s policy on transgender players?
The WNBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement, which was signed in March, states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”
However, according to ESPN, there is no further definition of a woman or any publicly available policy governing transgender or intersex athlete eligibility.