Nancy Hogshead Urges WNBA to Define Eligibility to Biological Females

Three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Nancy Hogshead is advocating for the WNBA to define player eligibility strictly for biological females. Hogshead has initiated a Change.org petition to ask the league to clarify its eligibility rules regarding the term ‘woman.’ Since its launch on August 14, the petition has gathered over 11,000 signatures.

“We’re calling for the WNBA to clarify that its eligibility rules are for women only,” Hogshead explained to Fox News Digital. “Participants must meet certain criteria, including age and sex.”

A protestor held a sign outside United Center before a Chicago Sky game against Indiana Fever on August 8, 2026, reflecting the ongoing debate.

Hogshead expressed her goal for the petition to reach 100,000 signatures, stating, “It’s an 80/20 issue across the country, so we can make it happen. Over a million people have engaged with our petition-related materials. We need them to add their signatures.”

The current 2026 WNBA collective bargaining agreement states, “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” without further detailing the definition of “woman” or addressing gender identity or sex at birth.

The discussion gained attention after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft as self-identified women. League insiders labeled their declarations as “publicity stunts” and affirmed their ineligibility.

Hogshead criticized these announcements, viewing them as revealing inconsistencies in gender self-identification policies.

“I love it that they came forward because it just shows the hypocrisy of the WNBA, and it shows the hypocrisy of gender ideology,” Hogshead remarked. “Their willingness to participate in the draft underscores the absurdity of gender ideology.”

While the WNBA highlighted that there were no urgent eligibility issues, they condemned efforts to exploit the debate to belittle others. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert committed to ongoing conversations with the players’ union and stakeholders.

Alongside Hogshead’s petition, rallies occurred outside WNBA games in support of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham voiced her opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports.

“I admire Sophie Cunningham for her stance for women,” Hogshead commented. “The more exposure Cunningham receives, the more she gains public favor.”

Nancy Hogshead, a winner of three gold medals and one silver at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, later pursued a career as a civil rights attorney. She founded Champion Women, an organization promoting the rights of women and girls in sports.

Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital, focusing on significant political and cultural sports issues from an investigative perspective. His work has been referenced in federal actions enforcing Title IX and by media outlets such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press, and ESPN.com.