A group of House Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the Women’s National Basketball Association on Friday, demanding that the league define what a woman is.
The letter, drafted by Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and signed by Reps. Erin Houchin, R-Ind.; John Rose, R-Tenn.; Zach Nunn, R-Iowa; and Sheri Biggs, R-S.C., sent the letter to the organization regarding its rule stating that “only players who are women are eligible to play,” though the rule does not explicitly define “woman” or outline specific standards for transgender women.
“I am asking the WNBA a simple question: What is a woman?” Stutzman wrote on X. “The league has continually failed its players and fans by ignoring basic science. They have also fallen wildly short of protecting their players on the court. We want answers.”
As seen in the letter, first obtained by Fox News, Stutzman questioned the league’s lack of clarity regarding the rule after former professional men’s basketball players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, two vocal participants in the league’s ongoing dispute over transgender athletes, were denied entry into the WNBA draft despite declaring themselves women.
“This action indicates the League certainly understands the biological difference between men and women, and has even gone so far as to enforce that distinction when deciding eligibility,” Stutzman said.
“The WNBA must ensure the League remains exclusively for biological women,” the representative continued, quoting remarks from Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham regarding the importance of “protecting women’s sports” by enacting transparent gender policies.
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Houchin told the Daily Signal: “The role of professional sports organizations is to provide athletes with a safe, professional environment where they can perform at the highest level. The focus should be on allowing athletes to compete free of interactions that put players at risk. The WNBA has allowed broader political and cultural debates to overshadow the game itself, which is literally physically endangering players. I want to see the league succeed by keeping the focus where it belongs: on the athletes and the sport.”
The letter also referenced an incident between Kanter Freedom and WNBA player Natasha Cloud, who rushed at him during a game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Aug. 23 after he was seen wearing a shirt that read: “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
“The WNBA cannot run from the transparency and accountability the American people are demanding. We want to see our favorite players protected on the court and want to see fans stop being targeted for practicing their First Amendment rights,” Stutzman said in a statement sent to USA Today Sports. “I am looking forward to the WNBA defining ‘woman’ so we can get back to basketball!”
Kanter Freedom has since been permanently banned from Wintrust Arena.
This story has been updated to include a comment from Rep. Erin Houchin.
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