By TMZ | Created at 2026-08-16 14:58:53 | Updated at 2026-08-16 15:09:21
51 minutes ago
Caitlyn Jenner Calls Out WNBA's 'Hypocrisy' in Trans Athlete Debate
Published August 16, 2026 7:18 AM PDT | Updated August 16, 2026 7:52 AM PDT
Caitlyn Jenner is weighing in on the increasingly heated debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA ... and she's throwing her support behind two former NBA players who say they're planning to enter the league's draft.
Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist who transitioned in 2015, publicly backed Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as they challenge the WNBA over its policies surrounding transgender athletes.
"XX are in, XY are out. It's that simple," Jenner told Fox News, arguing that women's sports need to be protected. She also suggested the former NBA players' moves are exposing what she views as contradictions and the "hypocrisy" in the league's approach to the issue.
The comments come as the WNBA finds itself at the center of a growing debate that began after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham publicly spoke about her opposition to transgender women competing in women's sports.
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense. … I think it’s really important to protect children.”
“I don’t dislike anyone. … I’m there to love, but I’m also there to love biological women. …” pic.twitter.com/3OrIqoVYrk @RomeovilleKid
Cunningham said she wanted to protect young girls in sports, comments that triggered both criticism and support. She has continued to stand by her position, while others around the league have pushed for a more inclusive approach.
As we've reported ... Kanter Freedom -- who spent 11 seasons in the NBA -- announced earlier this month that he intended to declare for the WNBA Draft as a protest over the debate.
EKF officially declared in mid-August ... signing his papers while wearing a shirt reading "Invest in women. Pay women. Hire women."
Former NBA player Royce White announced his own intention to pursue the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying he identifies as transgender for purposes of professional basketball. The moves have been widely viewed as political statements aimed at testing how the WNBA would handle its eligibility rules.
The WNBA has said there are currently no eligibility issues involving transgender athletes and has condemned what it described as bad-faith efforts to demean or marginalize people. No transgender woman has played in the league.
Jenner's position is notable given her own history as she's become an American sports icon, after winning the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics as Bruce Jenner before publicly transitioning decades later. Since her transition, she has repeatedly argued against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports.
Now she's adding her voice to one of the most contentious debates surrounding the WNBA this season ... backing two former NBA players whose unconventional draft declarations have put the league's eligibility policies under an even brighter spotlight.
