--- title: "WNBA transgender debate centres on French player after Trump joke resurfaces" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/wnba-transgender-debate-centres-on-french-player-after-trump-joke-resurfaces" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/wnba-transgender-debate-centres-on-french-player-after-trump-joke-resurfaces" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/wnba-transgender-debate-centres-on-french-player-after-trump-joke-resurfaces.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/wnba-transgender-debate-centres-on-french-player-after-trump-joke-resurfaces" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-05T19:46:12.351Z" source_reported: "2026-08-05T19:03:53.000Z" updated: "2026-08-05T20:00:42.865Z" trust_score: 55 critic_score: 50 hype_score: 55 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-05T20:22:30.661Z" --- # 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* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 55 of 100, higher is better. Only one named source (White House press secretary) and no direct document cited. - Craft 50 of 100, higher is better. No affected parties quoted; background lacks dates or specifics. - Hype 55 of 100, lower is better. Headline overstates Trump's role; body does not support 'screws up again' framing. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - 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. 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. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 50% (4) - Right: 50% (4) 1 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-05T20:22:30.661Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-05T21:15:39.734Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - 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 - 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. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 4 - high: 2 - unknown: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [BroBible](https://brobible.com/sports/article/president-trump-lebron-james-wnba-joke) — President Trump's Joke About LeBron James In The WNBA Resurfaces Amid Sophie Cunningham Drama - [sport.es](https://sport.es/es/noticias/baloncesto/nba/donald-trump-vuelve-meter-pata-133127437) — Donald Trump Screws up Again as He Tries to 'Recruit' LeBron James for the WNBA - [democraticaccent.com](https://democraticaccent.com/trumps-remarks-on-recruiting-lebron-james-to-womens-basketball-resurface-amid-wnba-trans-athlete-debate) — Trump's remarks on recruiting LeBron James to women's basketball resurface amid WNBA trans athlete debate – Democratic Accent - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/outkick-sports/trumps-remarks-recruiting-lebron-james-womens-basketball-resurface-amid-wnba-trans-athlete-debate) — Trump's remarks on recruiting LeBron James to women's basketball resurface amid WNBA trans athlete debate - [Forbes](https://forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/05/how-transgender-basketball-player-julie-ttart-became-ammo-for-right-wings-wnba-trolling) — How Transgender Basketball Player Julie Tétart Became Ammo For Right-Wing’s WNBA Trolling - [Conservative Review](https://conservativereview.com/lebronya-james-to-dominate-womens-league-where-women-wont-accept-what-a-woman-is-2677659428.html) — LeBronya James To Dominate Women’s League Where Women Won’t Accept What A Woman Is - [The Federalist](https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/05/lebronya-james-to-dominate-womens-league-where-women-wont-accept-what-a-woman-is) — LeBronya James Preparing To Dominate WNBA - [Reality Tea](https://realitytea.com/2026/08/05/donald-trump-wnba-lebron-james-question) — Donald Trump’s Bizarre Comment About LeBron James in the WNBA Raises Eyebrows - [The Comeback](https://thecomeback.com/nba/donald-trump-reveals-plans-as-wnba-coach-lebron-james.html) — ‘LeBron, do you have any desire to be a woman?’: Donald Trump reveals plans as WNBA coach ## Questions **What did Sophie Cunningham say about transgender athletes in the WNBA?** Sophie Cunningham, a guard for the Indiana Fever, stated she opposes transgender women in the WNBA, saying she wants to "protect young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men." Her remarks drew praise from the White House, as reported by Forbes. **How did Donald Trump’s 2022 joke resurface in the WNBA debate?** A 2022 comment by Donald Trump resurfaced in which he joked about recruiting LeBron James to play in the WNBA by asking if he had "any desire to be a woman." The remark circulated online alongside the current debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA, as reported by Forbes and sport.es. **What is the WNBA’s policy on transgender athletes?** 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 opposing it, according to Forbes. **Who is Julie Tétart and how is she connected to the WNBA debate?** Julie Tétart is a 34-year-old transgender basketball player from France who plays in the country’s second-tier women’s league. She was drawn into the US debate after OutKick contacted her, and she said she would consider a WNBA offer but acknowledged her age and skill level, as reported by Forbes. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/wnba-transgender-debate-centres-on-french-player-after-trump-joke-resurfaces. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "WNBA transgender debate centres on French player after Trump joke resurfaces", https://mediabias.news/politics/wnba-transgender-debate-centres-on-french-player-after-trump-joke-resurfaces