Women train, sacrifice, compete, and fight unimaginably hard for the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of their sport. As a three-time Olympic gold medalist, I understand that my athletic career was made possible because women had a dedicated category to compete… and win. The athletes in the WNBA deserve to know that when they step onto the court, they will be competing on a level playing field – without biological males.

I am calling on the WNBA to explicitly clarify that “woman” means female for eligibility purposes, and to protect fair and safe competition for female athletes.

The issue is not complicated. The WNBA exists for women and their fans. Biological female athletes deserve clear rules that ensure fair competition and uphold the opportunities that women's sports advocates have worked over decades to create and provide.

The NBA Board of Governors approved the WNBA in 1996, paving the way for elite female basketball players to have what previous generations were denied: a professional league and the chance to compete at the highest level.

The fundamental reason for separate categories in women's sports is obvious: biological differences lead to significant male / female disparities in strength, speed, power, and other physical traits that are crucial at the highest levels of competition. Acknowledging these realities is not a mark of disrespect for women. We are designed perfectly, on a different developmental pathway from men.

Formal sex-segregation creates opportunities for females that wouldn’t exist if there were just one sports team. Strict enforcement of a female-only category is the only way to guarantee that right for the WNBA players and the league.

We urge the WNBA to restrict eligibility to biological women who have been female since birth. This is consistent with the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, World Aquatics, and World Athletics, and is consistent with other sport categories that are strictly enforced - including age, weight, equipment, and drug testing. The female category should be enforced through sex screening, as the Women’s Tennis Association, another all-female professional league, now does.

Roster spots, records, championships, and careers are at stake. Our athletes deserve clarity, not ambiguity. We must apply the same rules consistently and allow women’s basketball to focus on the game itself.

It’s time for the WNBA to clearly define the "W" once and for all, ensuring that the next generation of women can trust in the integrity of their sport.

Signed,

Nancy Hogshead, J.D., OLY

Nancy Hogshead won the most medals at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, with three gold medals and a silver. She is now a civil rights lawyer, and founder of Champion Women, providing legal advocacy for girls and women in sports. She is a member of the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, the other members join me in this petition.