WNBA transgender debate centres on French player after Trump joke resurfaces
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s remarks and a 2022 Trump comment fuel discussion on transgender athletes in women’s basketball
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
WNBA transgender debate centres on French player after Trump joke resurfaces
Photograph: Forbes (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham stated she opposes transgender women in the WNBA, drawing praise from the White House.
- A 2022 joke by Donald Trump about LeBron James transitioning to play in the WNBA resurfaced amid the debate.
- French transgender basketball player Julie Tétart said she would consider a WNBA call but acknowledged her age and skill level.
- The WNBA has not issued a formal policy on transgender athlete participation.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 7 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 8 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
55/100
Craft
50/100
Hype
55/100
8 sources · methodology
The debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA intensified after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham stated she does not believe people born male should be allowed in the league. Cunningham told ESPN she wanted to "protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men." The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, later said President Joe Biden "feels strongly" about protecting young girls in sports, as reported by Forbes.
The discussion expanded when a 2022 remark by Donald Trump resurfaced. At a Turning Point USA event, Trump joked that he could be the greatest women’s basketball coach by asking LeBron James if he had "any desire to be a woman." The comment circulated online alongside news that French transgender basketball player Julie Tétart had been drawn into the debate. Tétart, 34, plays in France’s second-tier women’s league and told OutKick she would consider a WNBA offer but added, "you have to be realistic: I’m old, and there are far better players than me."
The WNBA has not issued a formal policy on transgender athlete participation. Individual players and coaches have expressed mixed views, with some supporting inclusion and others, like Cunningham, opposing it. Forbes reported that the league risks criticism whether it pursues Tétart or not, as conservative outlets could argue its stance is either performative or politically motivated.
What the coverage left out
No left- or right-rated outlet ran this story. The unrated digest from sport.es mentioned Trump’s 2022 joke but did not cover Cunningham’s remarks, the White House response, or Tétart’s involvement in the debate.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 5 Aug 2026, 20:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- Forbes led its report with the involvement of Julie Tétart, framing her as a focal point in the right-wing’s use of the WNBA debate. The outlet detailed how OutKick, a Fox News-owned sports site, contacted Tétart and included her response. Forbes also highlighted the White House’s support for Cunningham’s remarks and the resurfaced Trump joke, noting that Trump himself had not commented on the current controversy. The report described the WNBA’s position as a "lose-lose" scenario, where either decision on Tétart could draw criticism.
Right
4 rated outlets
- Both right-rated outlets led on Donald Trump’s 2023 remark about recruiting LeBron James to women’s basketball. They reported that Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham had said women should not compete against males, and that critics called her comments anti-Black and anti-transgender.
- The digests named Cunningham as the focus of the debate. They stated that WNBA coaches and media figures had described sports as needing to be inclusive, but did not quote any coach or player directly. Neither digest mentioned the French player at the centre of the story.
- Neither digest included any statement from transgender athletes, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, or medical experts on eligibility rules. The only voices described were Cunningham’s and those who criticised her.
Read it at the source
8 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Centre
3- How Transgender Basketball Player Julie Tétart Became Ammo For Right-Wing’s WNBA Trolling (opens Forbes in a new tab)
- Donald Trump’s Bizarre Comment About LeBron James in the WNBA Raises Eyebrows (opens Reality Tea in a new tab)
Reality Tea
- ‘LeBron, do you have any desire to be a woman?’: Donald Trump reveals plans as WNBA coach (opens The Comeback in a new tab)
The Comeback — is The Comeback biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
4- Trump's remarks on recruiting LeBron James to women's basketball resurface amid WNBA trans athlete debate – Democratic Accent (opens democraticaccent.com in a new tab)
democraticaccent.com — is democraticaccent.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump's remarks on recruiting LeBron James to women's basketball resurface amid WNBA trans athlete debate (opens Fox News in a new tab)
- LeBronya James Preparing To Dominate WNBA (opens The Federalist in a new tab)
The Federalist — is The Federalist biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- LeBronya James To Dominate Women’s League Where Women Won’t Accept What A Woman Is (opens Conservative Review in a new tab)
Conservative Review — is Conservative Review biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
