Congressional Republicans seek answers from WNBA on eligibility, safety policies

Conservative members of Congress want more answers from the WNBA surrounding the league's eligibility rules and player and fan safety policies.

A group of Republican lawmakers led by Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman sent a letter, originally obtained by Fox News, on Sept. 17 to commissioner Cathy Engelbert regarding the "WNBA’s lack of eligibility standards" and "concerning lack of will to enforce basic player and fan protections."

In the letter, signed by five GOP members of Congress, Stutzman pushes back on the language in the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) related to player eligibility.

The WNBA CBA states, "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." It includes additional eligibility criteria such as age and remaining collegiate eligibility. However, it does not explicitly mention gender identity or gender at birth. Stutzman questioned the absence of such specificity after the league said former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White were ineligible to enter the WNBA draft after declaring themselves women. Kanter Freedom and White have been outspoken about the current transgender athlete conversation surrounding the league.

"This action indicates the League certainly understands the biological difference between men and women, and has even gone so far…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/