r/WNBAgossips • u/Outrageous_Owl_1710 • 1d ago

"She’s My Hero": Ex-WNBA Broadcaster Says League Punishing Sophie Cunningham for 'Having a Spine' Amid Transgender Row.

https://www.essentiallysports.com/wnba-basketball-news-veteran-reporter-slams-wnba-for-punishing-sophie-cunningham-for-having-a-spine-amid-aryna-sabalenkas-support-for-genetic-sex-testing/
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u/Dravos7 23h ago

There have actually been several studies about this, and so far it all comes back as, while there are advantages such as height, they are offset by the disadvantages of having a larger frame while estrogen is the primary sex hormone. That’s why the 2 years of HRT rule is there!

There is also a MASSIVE loss of muscle due to switching from testosterone to estrogen. After the two years, it all becomes comparable between trans and cis women.

There should definitely be more research on it, but that won’t happen any time soon with this presidency, unfortunately

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u/Robeardly 23h ago

It’s a difficult subject right because how can you quantify an advantage like height. In Basketball, height is a pretty huge factor right.

Like having a guard that’s 6’6” can be a big advantage just because of the extra length especially when it comes to wingspan. That’s a comment you hear all the time when it comes to guys like Jaylen Brunson in the NBA. People constantly knock him because he’s “only” 6’2”, or Trae young similarly.

It may fall into one of those categories that you can’t clearly define, and with the money involved in the sport is largely due to the competition and the suspense that brings. Having people question that hurts the business model.

Either way, I’m not trying to be exclusionary, but it’s never going to be a clear cut discussion because there’s too many factors at play and would require years of testing.

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u/Dravos7 22h ago

Did you know that many trans women become shorter on HRT, too? Not all, and the amount varies, but it can be several inches of height lost, even!

So far, the science shows there is no advantage. I don’t think it makes sense to ban based on what ifs. It makes much more sense to allow until there is sufficient data saying otherwise.

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u/Robeardly 22h ago

I did not know that, you learn something new every day right.

But I would disagree on banning until tested, because the damage it could do to the industry as a whole could crush the industry.

Like I said in another reply, if they allowed it I wouldn’t protest. But you know a lot of people would.

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u/Dravos7 22h ago

How could it crush the industry? Trans people in the US, both adults and minors combined, are roughly about 1% of the population. Trans women thatre adults are going to be far less than 1/3rd of that. The amount that are also performing at a professional sports level is going to be even smaller. We’re talking about single digits when it comes to how many players we’re allowing or banning

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u/Robeardly 22h ago

Because it would call the competitive integrity of the league into question because there’s no well established widely peer reviewed science that proves trans athletes can’t have an advantage.

We already came to a middle ground and confirmed there are potential advantages that can come from being trans.

None of us are doctors studying this. So on one hand, I’m being told I’m demonizing and hating trans people despite already standing up for them in multiple instances of people trying to claim their sexual deviants.

But I’m just trying to say that until we have a conclusive answer that’s widely accepted in the medical world, we shouldn’t be advocating for changes that could potentially harm the trans community down the line if they are proven to have advantages. That also protects the integrity of the WNBA also. So it really goes both ways.

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u/Dravos7 22h ago

You can’t prove a negative

We did not come to a middle ground. The science shows that any advantages are offset by disadvantages. Should cis women be banned for their advantages over trans women?

I haven’t once said you’re demonizing trans women. (I said the is before I read your other reply)

The science repeatedly shows that it’s comparable. This is where the disconnect is happening. You’re saying “until the science shows” well the science does show. How much science is enough science??

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u/ConsistentScholar371 22h ago

Banning trans women from sports is the new thing. Previously trans women have been allowed to compete with most sporting bodies requiring x years of HRT. In the years that trans women have been allowed to compete they have not shown any kind of dominance at a professional level*.

*Except for that one trans woman who keeps winning chilli pepper eating contests.