# Clay Travis want a new WNBA Franchise with all Trans Women Players **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [August 11, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302 "2026-08-11T20:23:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/21 "2026-08-12T15:30:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Trans-panic is a _very_ reliable [get out the RW vote] topic. Sadly, yes. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/22 "2026-08-12T19:04:08Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Do either of these people have a history of presenting themselves to friends and family as women? Not as far as I can tell. All of this is being widely criticized as trolling, and a social media stunt. [Royce White](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royce_White) (the other guy in the OP’s article) had [a very brief NBA career](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/whitero03.html), playing in three games for the Kings in 2014, with a grand total of nine minutes on the court. He is now a Republican politician, who has been described as a “far right populist” and “far-right conspiracy theorist.” He is strongly anti-LGBTQ, and has been quoted as saying, “Look, let’s just be frank. Women have become too mouthy.” So, a real charmer. 😛 White was the GOP candidate for a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat in 2024, losing badly to incumbent Amy Klobuchar; this year, he ran for the nomination for Minnesota’s other Senate seat (for which the primary was held yesterday), and finished a distant third. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/23 "2026-08-12T22:28:56Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > OutKick Sports owner Clay Travis has floated the idea of raising the first all-transgender WNBA team and says such an organization would be the “most inclusive” team in WNBA history. I’m not entirely sure he knows what the word “inclusive” means. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/24 "2026-08-12T22:30:10Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I have to point out that this proves, yet again, that the REAL problem is cisgender men. > > Cisgender men ruin everything. Rather a broad brush you’re wielding there. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/25 "2026-08-13T00:24:42Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Soooo, on draft night, the team drafting the two wannabes get to chop off their balls and remove their schwanz right there on stage. Of course, it would be pay per view. That is not going to happen. The way understand it, the WNBA has no definition of women, and all a man has to do is identify as a woman to be eligible to me, it is a clear Reductio Ad Absurdum. I think the LPGA recently clarified its policy that in order to be eligible for the LPGA (and other tours in its umbrella) have to be born a female (with two x - chromosomes) or became a trans women before puberty. [LPGA GENDER POLICY FOR COMPETITION ELIGIBILITY | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association](https://www.lpga.com/gender-policy) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/26 "2026-08-13T06:07:13Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’m not entirely sure he knows what the word “inclusive” means. Actually, he knows exactly what it means … to an audience well-primed by RW propaganda. It’s a snarl word meaning “wacky, weird sickos and wokeness”. And for darn sure the proposed team would fit that definition perfectly as seen by his RW audience. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/27 "2026-08-13T12:04:31Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Rather a broad brush you’re wielding there. 3 Cisgender men are trying to bully the WNBA for not being anti-trans enough for their liking. They want to have cisgender men play in the league and beat up the women players to prove a point. The only people here threatening to harm women and upset the WNBA’s competitive balance are cisgender men. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/28 "2026-08-13T12:40:07Z")
In case you’re not aware, this started because of some comments from WNBA player Sophie Cunningham about excluding transgender women from women’s sports. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/29 "2026-08-13T12:44:39Z")
3 cisgender men have talked about joining the WNBA. Not that I can read minds, but I suspect that they’re doing this for publicity and don’t expect to actually play. And have they actually said they want to harm women and beat them up? I didn’t read anything beyond the headlines and snippets in this thread. 3 cisgender men out of 4 billion in the world, and they’re talking about a sports league. I stand by my comment that “cisgender men ruin everything” is a broad brush. I’m not defending those 3, and don’t want to distract the thread from what they’re doing. We can drop this here if you like. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/30 "2026-08-13T12:50:24Z")
So of course someone had to take it to the absurd extreme, in order to be “based” and “pwn the libs”. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/31 "2026-08-15T11:03:50Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Rather, the WNBA should have eligibility requirements for transgender players based on biological requirements, such as maximum level of testosterone. How about this: the WNBA could require that its players either (a) be AFAB, or (b) were AMAB and have had ‘bottom surgery’ (IOW, have had their male genitals surgically removed). Somehow I doubt there are former NBA or male NCAA players who will want to play in the WNBA badly enough to part with their schlong and their family jewels. But that would allow for genuine trans women to play in the WNBA if someday there are some that are good enough to qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/32 "2026-08-15T11:09:54Z")
These jokers think they’ve found a way to force WNBA to kneel. How are they going to keep dudes out of WNBA if they allow transwomen in the league? > [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t know who Clay Travis is but I’m going to assume he’s an asshole. Which brings me to my suggested solution. Don’t declare WNBA a no-trans league. Declare it a no-assholes league. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/33 "2026-08-15T11:14:07Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Which brings me to my suggested solution. Don’t declare WNBA a no-trans league. Declare it a no-assholes league. If there were only a widely agreed-on standard to enable the screening-out of assholes, that would have much wider applicability than the WNBA! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/34 "2026-08-15T11:46:13Z")
I think any sports team that refused to hire assholes would significantly limit its potential. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/35 "2026-08-15T11:54:18Z")
That’s their whole strategy. First get the dudes into the WNBA, then the WNBA will enact a no-dudes ban after seeing the dudes dominate the league for a few games. In theory. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/36 "2026-08-15T12:47:12Z")
That’s not their strategy. Their strategy isn’t to get dudes into the WNBA. Their strategy is to promote their own brand while dunking on women in general and transwomen in particular, humiliating the WNBA and forcing them to marginalize transwomen. The problem isn’t that transwomen will dominate the WNBA. The problem isn’t even that cis men will try to join the WNBA in order to dominate the sport. The problem is that cis men will be assholes to prove a point. If these assholes stopped being assholes, the problem would go away. An informative video on the subject: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4v8XUs-LvOM](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1shC8qomzAs) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/37 "2026-08-15T13:11:23Z")
That is a good video. His central point is that a handful of grifters looking for a topic to grift on have decided to announce, “oh noes, you don’t have a way to prevent something that no one is doing. So I’m going to do it, to get in the news.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/38 "2026-08-15T14:12:10Z")
He has a great follow-up video, about culture wars in general: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4v8XUs-LvOM/maxresdefault.jpg "If the WNBA doesn’t do the right thi-JK JK NO WAR BUT A CLASS WAR YALL #traecrowder") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v8XUs-LvOM) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/39 "2026-08-15T15:26:58Z")
You know, if my roommate wants to talk about hypothetical issues when the house is on fire, I’m leaving anyway. I’m not engaging. I liked the other more. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302/40 "2026-08-15T15:34:28Z")
I’m kinda trapped in the house with this roommate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clay-travis-want-a-new-wnba-franchise-with-all-trans-women-players/1032302.md?page=3)