{"id":141496,"date":"2026-08-03T10:15:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/valkyries-coach-natalie-nakase-defends-trans-athletes-in-womens-sports-as-culture-war-engulfs-wnba-141496"},"modified":"2026-08-03T10:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:15:15","slug":"valkyries-coach-natalie-nakase-defends-trans-athletes-in-womens-sports-as-culture-war-engulfs-wnba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/valkyries-coach-natalie-nakase-defends-trans-athletes-in-womens-sports-as-culture-war-engulfs-wnba-141496","title":{"rendered":"Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase defends trans athletes in women’s sports as culture war engulfs WNBA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A fourth WNBA<\/a> head coach has addressed the topic of trans athletes in women’s sports in a three-day span.<\/p>\n

Golden State Valkyries<\/a> head coach Natalie Nakase became the latest coach to face a question about the issue during a pre-game press conference on Sunday, ahead of the team’s win against the Toronto Tempo.<\/p>\n

Nakase, who is the reigning WNBA Coach of The Year, was asked about the recent rallies in support of Sophie Cunningham’s stance in protecting women’s sports. She responded by appearing to defend the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports.<\/p>\n

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM DOUBLES DOWN AHEAD OF SUN GAME AFTER ESPN PROFILE STIRS CONTROVERSY: ‘I SAID WHAT I SAID’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“I think just in terms of how I’m seeing it is, if I can answer, for me sports is about belonging. It\u2019s about inclusivity. It\u2019s about allowing everyone to be their authentic self,” Nakase said.<\/p>\n

The coach then referenced her ethnicity. Nakase is a third-generation\u00a0Japanese-American, she previously became the first\u00a0Asian American\u00a0to play in the\u00a0National Women’s Basketball League\u00a0(NWBL).<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m big on that because I have been criticized for my height, for my ethnicity. I\u2019ve been in those \u2018you shouldn\u2019t belong here,\u2019 [moments] and for me I don\u2019t want that space, especially Golden State, to ever feel like that. “I\u2019m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that includes trans women. So I\u2019m all about inclusivity.”<\/p>\n

CHERYL REEVE SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE TO SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM WITH \u2018TRANS KIDS BELONG\u2019 SHIRT DURING FEVER-LYNX GAME<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova posted on X that the “ignorance is astounding.”<\/p>\n

Nakase now joins Indiana Fever<\/a> coach Stephanie White, Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve and Portland Fire coach Alex Sarama in addressing the issue in recent days.<\/p>\n

White, who oversees superstars\u00a0Caitlin Clark<\/a>\u00a0and Sophie Cunningham, gave her answer during a pre-game press conference on Friday.<\/p>\n

“I don’t know that I would say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint. I don’t ever believe that exclusion is the answer. I just don’t. I do think that when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport, and things that go into that, like I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up I played with the boys all the time,” White answered.<\/p>\n

Sarama was also asked whether biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports before his team took on the Fever on Friday, but didn’t give a straight answer.<\/p>\n

“My focus is as a basketball coach. To be completely honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had to think about that. I’m completely supportive of people from all communities, people from all walks of life, so that’s my stance, completely, I’m support of everyone in the Portland community,” Sarama said.<\/p>\n

Then on Saturday, Reeve was asked<\/a> ahead of her team’s Sunday game against the Fever.<\/p>\n

Reeve defended the right of “Save Women\u2019s Sports” demonstrators to gather outside Sunday\u2019s game, but also said that the scenario of\u00a0“biological men”<\/a>\u00a0in girls’ locker rooms is “not the case.”<\/p>\n

“It is not the case that we have ‘biological men’ in girls’ locker rooms. The way it’s being phrased, the innuendo there that transgender women are predators of some kind in the locker room. There’s a lot of narrative that is problematic that we need to address,” she said.<\/p>\n

Reeve suggested she is not concerned about any safety issues as a result of the rally.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t think we should feel like our safe space is being threatened,” Reeve told reporters on Saturday. “I don\u2019t think these demonstrators are not being peaceful, not that I\u2019ve seen. I haven\u2019t seen all of it. I haven\u2019t heard everything that\u2019s happening. But everyone has a right to peacefully assemble, whether you agree with them or not.”<\/p>\n

The national debate over trans athletes in women’s sports has gripped the WNBA after Cunningham revealed her stance<\/a> on the issue in an ESPN article last month. The three allies that have taken place at Fever games since then have garnered mainstream national attention.<\/p>\n

The third rally in Minneapolis on Sunday was the biggest one yet, and featured more confrontational exchanges between the “Save Women’s Sports” protesters and the pro-trans counterprotesters than the first two rallies, as seen in footage posted to social media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/valkyries-coach-natalie-nakase-defends-trans-athletes-womens-sports-culture-war-engulfs-league <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A fourth WNBA head coach has addressed the topic of trans athletes in women’s sports in a three-day span. 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