The WNBA had three head coaches in two days enrage WNBA followers with answers to questions on the protection of women’s sports.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie 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.
It triggered a social media meltdown among WNBA followers who were dissatisfied with her platitude. Actor Rob Schneider and New York Giants Super Bowl champion Jake Ballard were among those to criticize White for her answer.
After the game, the Fever drew further criticism after they did not make Caitlin Clark available to reporters, and then abruptly ended the press conference when an OutKick reporter attempted to ask Aliyah Boston about Cunningham’s recent stance in support of protecting women’s sports.
Liberal sports journalist Jemele Hill even criticized the Fever for not making Clark available.
FEVER SHUT DOWN SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM QUESTIONS, ABRUPTLY END PRESS CONFERENCE
Portland Fire head coach Alex Sarama also came under scrutiny when he gave his answer on whether biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports before his team took on the Fever on Friday. Sarama was asked an hour before White was asked.
“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.
His answer also triggered a tsunami of criticism, but White’s answer ultimately overshadowed his and drew attention away from his as the night went on.
SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM RALLY ROCKS WNBA GAME AS ‘SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS’ ACTIVISTS FACE COUNTERPROTEST
Then on Saturday, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who will lead her team against Indiana on Sunday, was asked her thoughts on the recent rallies that have followed the Fever to celebrate Cunningham’s stance in supporting the protection of women’s sports.
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.
While Reeve also drew criticism, she also garnered praise from pro-trans social media users.
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 two rallies that have taken place at Fever games since then have garnered mainstream national attention.
The first rally in Seattle resulted in a national controversy when Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton allegedly berated two young Cunningham fans who attended, as the owner was later suspended for five home games and fined. The second rally in Portland on Friday saw a crowd of counterprotesters show up, some in costumes.
Now, all eyes are on Minneapolis for the third rally, and a game between Reeve’s Lynx and Cunningham’s Fever in one of the highest-stakes games of the WNBA season.
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