WTA, the WNBA and the reckoning that is happening

As I’m sure you all know, the Women’s Tennis Association announced that the organization will test for sex. Starting now. Aryna Sabalenka came out in support of it. I wrote about it here.

She has been the strongest, most full-throated endorser of the policy arguing that women deserve fairness, men are stronger, the test is not a big deal, and she will gladly take it. Of, course the trolls came out to say she’s manly and probably trans, because that is what they do.

After Sabalenka, the clearest additional strong public supporter among active WTA players is Belinda Bencic — the singles gold medal winner in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She said she “completely stands behind the decision of the WTA and the new policy” and is “really happy that we’re going to do this.”

Jessica Pegula (No. 3, Players’ Council member) noted she hasn’t heard complaints from other players, and described the WTA updating its policy as being in line with other organizations (IOC) after providing education/background to players. So the players were clearly briefed and probably consulted.

Coco Gauff — ok this one was a little mealy-mouthed but she still did it. Here’s her exact quote from her post-match press conference at the National Bank Open (Canadian Open) in Toronto on Wednesday, August 5/6, 2026 (after her win over Kayla Day):

“I understand the reasoning behind it. I do think that this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity towards the trans community, which I’m not really a big fan of, but I also understand the [need to account for the] biological difference and the need to protect that and preserve that.

So I think it’s a conversation that is very nuanced, and I need to have a nuanced answer.

So, yes, I guess I kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports. But I also do not like the attack that it is creating. People who don’t really care, but just want to use this as a reason to attack the trans community. So I’m not really a big fan of that either.

I don’t really know how to answer this question in a way that people aren’t going to spin it. But as far as where I stand, I definitely support the trans community, but I also support the need of creating fairness in sport too.”

Gauff is trying to split the baby and you can’t really do it here. You either believe in testing for sex in women’s pro tennis to protect the category or you don’t. It’s not anti anyone to say it. Just because the haters call anyone who advocates for sex testing a bigot does not mean it’s bigoted.

So her answer was a bit cowardly, I thought. But she acknowledged biological difference. Which is key.

(Side note — here’s the thing, once she said what she said, no matter how much it was couched in the I’m pro trans language, she acknowledged that trans women are men. She spoke to “biological difference” and the need for fairness in women’s sports. She tried to fence-sit to some degree but she acknowledged biological differences. When that happens broadly, this whole charade falls apart. All of it. If trans women are men, it means you can’t change sex (duh). If trans women are men, we shouldn’t “transition” children because transition is impossible and we’re just cutting body parts off in some Frankenstein-y medically endorsed nightmare. It means there is no such thing as a gendered soul. It means men can’t be housed in women’s prisons. All of it. It goes in the dust bin of history.)

So I guess, thank you Coco. You were straddling two lanes but you still said it. There are biological differences and those cannot be changed.

Elena Rybakina — who won the Australian Open this year — indicated that she would comply (“If we got to do it, we will do it”) but did not view the tests as necessary, saying things were fine without them.

Taylor Townsend has expressed some skepticism/irony about the requirement given her experience with pregnancy and long career on tour, while focusing on getting more information. She said: “I've been on Tour for 15 years, and I've never been asked to do this. I've conceived a child, birthed a child, like this is crazy.” Well at least she is acknowledging biological difference and that women are the ones who can birth. On a separate note, when asked to identify my pronouns in a professional setting a few years ago, I had a simple answer — you’ve seen me pregnant 4 times. I think you know. Not embraced.

Mira Andreeva — she won the French Open this year at only 19 years old — said she was completely ok with it.

So the WTA players basically are all on board. Not sure why the WNBA players and the league leadership are having such a hard time with this concept that women’s sports are for women. That the “W” in WNBA means actual women.

Gabby Williams, an American-French player who plays for the Golden State Valkyries and was drafted 4th overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2018 WNBA draft, recently said:

“I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team.”

So I’d like to know how Gabby would feel about having “Julie” Tétart on her team or an opposing team.

Tétart is playing in the second tier pro league in France and averages 21 points per game. He is 34 and 6’3”. He came out as “trans” in 2021 at 29, stopped playing basketball (he’d reached pre-national level in men’s, so a regional player) and returned to competition after “becoming” Julie in 2024. And Julie is the first “trans” player on an athletic team in Monaco.

In the 2025–26 LF2 season Tétart led the league in scoring (roughly 21–22 points per game) and rebounding (around 20 rebounds per game), posting extremely high evaluation/efficiency ratings (often in the mid-30s). One standout game included 21 points and 30 rebounds.

Monaco finished the regular season around 5th and reached the playoff quarterfinals. So one strong player wasn’t enough to take Moncaco to the finals but he dominated. A player with these stats would typically be drafted into the tier 1 league. He hasn’t been. I think even France knows the optics are just terrible.

Despite the statistical dominance, Tétart was not selected for certain end-of-season individual awards (including MVP), which itself became part of public debate. Again, the optics of a man winning MVP in a women’s league are awful and even France knows it, I suspect.

Tétart has spoken about aspirations for the French national team and has expressed openness to potential WNBA interest.

I for one think Tétart would be an ideal recruit for Clay Travis’ new team — the Nashville Balls.

Outkick founder Clay Travis is offering to buy an WNBA franchise, bring it to Nashville and make it the most inclusive team in history with 100% “trans” players and coaching staff. “One love, two balls” is the tagline.

Yes, he’s kidding, though he could afford to buy a franchise. But he’s making a point. And it’s a good one. If you want inclusivity as all the WNBA coaches seem to be saying — “exclusivity is not the answer” is what Stephanie White, the head coach for the Indiana Fever, said in reference to Sophie Cunningham taking a stand for the protection of women’s sports — then include all the guys! If the trans women are women then an all trans team is fair.

In short, I’m not sure why all the tennis players can say it — protect the women’s category — but the basketball players can’t seem to.

You’re going to yell at me in the comments that it is because the WNBA players and coaches and the league is all lesbian. And there are a lot of lesbians in the WNBA. But that’s too pat. Martina Navratilova who has been one of the bravest voices out there on this and is one of the best tennis players of all time is a lesbian.

The league is super woke that is for sure. And they haven’t gotten the memo — it’s not 2020 anymore. It’s ok to say men aren’t women. They’ll get there even if we have to drag them kicking and screaming into reality.