Project B, a planned global basketball league, announced it will follow International Olympic Committee and FIBA gender eligibility guidelines for its competitions. The league aims to launch in January.
Alana Beard, a former WNBA star and cofounder of Project B who serves as chief basketball officer, criticized the WNBA for not taking a stand on the issue. "Where's the accountability, the integrity, the intentionality?" Beard said. She said "non-basketball narratives" currently dominate the WNBA's discourse.
The IOC announced a new policy in March that effectively bans transgender women from competing in female categories at the Olympics. FIBA, the international governing body for basketball, followed in April, adopting the IOC's policy while continuing to collect "basketball-specific data and transgender-related evidence" for further evaluation. FIBA confirmed it is not "entertaining any transgender eligibility requests" during this review period, which extends until the start of 2027.
Project B has signed several WNBA stars, including Nneka Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones and Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever. Cunningham's public comments have intensified focus on gender eligibility in women's basketball. In an ESPN profile in late July, she stated a desire "to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men." Her remarks garnered support from groups advocating for the protection of women's sports and resistance from trans rights activists and some WNBA players and coaches.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the issue in a memo sent to teams on Friday, informing executives that transgender participation would be discussed at an upcoming meeting. She described the subject as "nuanced," indicating the league will engage stakeholders in coming weeks and months.
The WNBPA, the league's players association, released its own statement Friday, denouncing hate against all individuals, specifically including "transgender people." Ogwumike, a player signed to Project B, currently serves as president of the WNBPA.
The WNBA's existing eligibility rules are established through collective bargaining. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement contains only "one line" pertaining to eligibility based on gender.
