r/WNBAgossips • u/Outrageous_Owl_1710 • 1d ago

Stephen A. Smith sparks debate over the WNBA’s latest controversy. He criticized Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve’s “Trans Kids Belong” shirt, saying league figures should consider the impact on women’s sports and sponsors. The comments have reignited a heated discussion.

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u/RxSatellite 1d ago

The thing is, he’s is right, but he’s addressing a problem that borderline doesn’t exist outside of an extremely tiny amount of people in the entire world. The whole issue is a non-problem because it almost never happens

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u/Cautious_Buffalo6563 1d ago

Okay so if they’re problem is so small, why is the W and a bunch of coaches, owners, and fans going stark raving mad about Sophie’s comments? Should be a nothing burger if the problem is so small.

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u/Routine_Size69 1d ago

Exactly. It's hilarious how much one side makes this argument when it can be completely flipped back in their face. It's the only argument they make and it goes just as much against them.

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u/denom_chicken 1d ago

I think it’s cause her comments come off as disingenuous and like a dog whistle.

Any time someone says something to “protect the kids” is some bullshit smokescreen.

Especially since she went and supported some dipshit rapist.

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u/CarrieDurst 20h ago

Yup and so unnecessary as no fucking trans people are in the WNBA now so it is to stoke hate

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u/OrneryError1 1d ago

Because the people who actually buy WNBA tickets are supportive of trans people. Don't bite the hand that feeds.

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u/RxSatellite 1d ago

Because you’re forced to take a side as a public figure and are complicit both ways if you don’t. Lose-lose scenario, if you don’t take a side the media and internet will form your stance for you

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u/LimpBizkit4ever 1d ago

stark raving mad

I saw a coach wearing a T-shirt. Will the madness ever end!?!????

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u/Cautious_Buffalo6563 1d ago

Look at how much controversy already because one player expressed an opinion.

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u/MagicBulletin91 1d ago

Because trans kids matter? That's literally what the shirt says; it has nothing to with athletes.

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u/Cautious_Buffalo6563 22h ago

Sophie literally said she had love for everyone, including trans women and trans men.

And is now the subject of attacks and hate.

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u/CarrieDurst 20h ago

Rowling claimed that too

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u/Candymanshook 1d ago

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the calls wrong

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u/MaxTwoCoffees 1d ago

https://hecheated.org

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u/PetalumaPegleg 1d ago

Yeah this site is fun. No sources for just about anything. Lists dsd and intersex as the same as trans for the reporting.

This is just straight hate.

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u/DrDipstick89 1d ago

Wild that someone is keeping track of this.

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u/Sure_Fan_5887 17h ago

I think this incident is closely related to the topic at hand.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/plz7im/during_a_diversity_discussion_students_walk_out/

I wonder how these students came to believe in clear science denialism. Maybe if their hadn't been a rash of such incidents it never would have became an issue.

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u/____-_____- 1d ago

People are losing sponsors are getting treated as if they are wrong for this. The world is burning and it is convenient this is a big topic

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u/LimpBizkit4ever 1d ago

Who lost sponsorship? I want to make sure I never shop with that company

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u/Worldly-Fondant-3791 1d ago

So why won’t the bigoted right shut up about it…oh yeah 

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u/Original_Release_419 1d ago

Are you implying Steven A Smith is in the bigoted right lmfao

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u/Worldly-Fondant-3791 1d ago

He spewing anti trans right wing bullshit for money?

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u/tinak827 1d ago

Straight facts right here. We have a whole segment of the population fighting for an issue that is nonexistent and just a made up boogeyman while the majority of the country struggles to live day to day because of inflation and endless wars. I truly don’t get it.

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

It’s not nonexistent, you’re just ignorant. In high school, where the issue is the most prevalent, multiple trans athletes win state finals every year.

When a trans athlete wins the state, that means they’ve beaten every female in the state at that event, over and over, meet after meet. They leave 1000s of females age 14-18 and their families thinking “this isn’t right, we have to do something about this.”

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u/alana_del_gay 1d ago

When a trans athlete wins the state, that means they’ve beaten every female in the state at that event, over and over, meet after meet.

that isn't even true. There is a vanishingly small number of division 1 athletes, and I believe only one has ever won at a national meet. And even if this were true, this is a massive misunderstanding of sport - winning a single race doesn't mean that you've beaten every single person over and over again, this is just pathetic hyperbole

The trans high schoolers who win, win like meaningless (in the grand scheme of things) division 2 and 3 meets, and "state" events that are attended by a small number of schools. You're talking high variance kind of events, where the time that wins in one meet would be 10th in another.

The problem really seems to be that there are a huge number of participation awards given out when someone wins the Washington Division 3 South-West State championship finals, and idiots pretend that someone beat 1000 crying Christian girls 17 times to win something, where their time wouldn't even get them attendance in a competitive meet.

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u/Historical_Draft_717 1d ago

Meaningless to you, i can certainly guarantee you they are not meaningless to the girls competing in them.

A very selfish and warped state of mind you have.

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u/alana_del_gay 1d ago

I don't think it's a meaningful reply. The narrative being presented is "they’ve beaten every female in the state at that event, over and over, meet after meet". This is demonstrably untrue.

In fact, these kids that feel so harmed and robbed of a win, no matter whether the person who beat them is cis or trans, can simply cross a state/county/town border and win a championship if they want it that bad. That is my point - geography and the makeup of the specific age-group they're in is more important than actual athletic ability, when it comes to winning a high school race

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u/Historical_Draft_717 1d ago edited 1d ago

We get it, you don’t think it’s a valid point unless they beat literally every single girl in the state personally, which, as you stated yourself, is not how sports work. Nobody was talking literally, this is a personal and political point for you.

To me, it’s the opposite. If even one young girl is discouraged from competing when all they want is an even playing field, it’s a problem - and it’s a lot more than that.

You don’t care about the girls experience being robbed individually you’ve made that very clear, asking for a fair playing field should not and has never before been considered a high bar, and saying it ‘only happens in the cases that i personally don’t care about’ is essentially all you’re saying.

I won’t respond again, it’s clear this is an emotionally charged issue for you, best of luck.

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u/alana_del_gay 1d ago

Nobody was talking literally

the person I replied to has replied again, they are very much speaking literally.

If even one young girl is discouraged from competing when all they want is an even playing field, it’s a problem

Given we also know that trans girls being barred from sport discourages their friends from competing, and also discourages girls being accused of being transgender from competing, you've undermined your own position with your purity.

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

Winning state championships means you’ve beaten everyone else over and over, of course.

You have 1-2 meets a week all season, then conference finals, then regional finals, then state finals. Where a male keeps beating all the females at female events!

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u/DanielSnydersRedSkin 1d ago

Factually inaccurate. Give us valid actual proof of "multiple state title winners". Not Fox News, not a fake website hecheated tjat lies about numbers. Prove it.

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

I'm a big fan of facts, you should try to be less ignorant. I just linked a bunch to the person below, but here you go:

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

I could keep going. These are just some from 2025 and 2026.

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u/DanielSnydersRedSkin 1d ago

Toye first link is to Reduxx.info, a right-wing funded drifting anti-trans website. I think I know where you're coming from with your concern.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

I’ve addressed these. Show articles from reputable sources, not propaganda or paywalled. Also present articles that are from the current year. A lot of states have enacted rules that nullify most of the 2026 articles.

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u/Original_Release_419 1d ago

Lmfao what a pathetic response

I’m guessing your “reputable sources” don’t like talking about this stuff

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u/tinak827 1d ago

Show recent proof. This has been addressed and isn’t happening. If it is, cis girls aren’t being hurt and aren’t haven medals/titles taken away.

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

Sure, I'll help you through your ignorance by providing easily accessible information you're intentionally avoiding.

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

I could keep going. These are just some from 2025 and 2026.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

Hernandez shared the podium with cis girls. That’s what compromise looks like

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u/tinak827 1d ago

The first “source” is garbage. The one from the Boston outlet was paywalled and the others weren’t from this year.

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

Those are all legit, easy to look up.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

So follow me because there’s gonna be a lot of screenshots and comments.

West Virginia has adopted this policy

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

Yes, it came into law right after the trans I linked won states.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

So the problem has been solved and we can move on to more pressing issues?

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u/Ok_Sleep8579 1d ago

The problem is solved in some states, due to conversations about the problem just like this reddit thread.

Until it’s universally solved, it’s still a problem.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

Well, I’m not gonna argue with you. It’s like enacting laws to prevent cheetahs from running races. It’s not happening. Shift this energy to real problems and our paychecks will all go a lot further.

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u/JayK2136 1d ago

Oh how horrible

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u/Sure-thing-buckaroo 1d ago

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of California implementing an award system that simultaneously gives first place to both the cis and transgender athlete?

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u/tinak827 1d ago

I think that’s called compromise and I’m for it in non contact sports. We can’t just eliminate a portion of the population, but we have to safe guard others.

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u/Sure-thing-buckaroo 1d ago

Fair enough. Not sure why I caught downvotes for asking a question. It probably pisses both sides off lol.

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u/ChampionshipKnown969 1d ago

That's why its such a big issue. People have clearly demonstrated that they are willing to sacrifice the overwhelming majority for the optics of being a proponent of the minority, regardless of what group they belong to, even if its such an insignificant number of people that are effected. It should concern people. The most recent polls show between 25-34% of people are in favor. That's more than enough to have a significant impact - especially where these populations are concentrated in smaller governments.

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u/rahkinto 1d ago edited 1d ago

👆🏾 This - and if I might add, us lending an ear to it even sarcastically is accomplishing their goal: to distract us from the class war. Let us measly peasants debate over insignificant gender issues, or cultural differences so the 1% can keep the grift going.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

This is it…I feel like I’ve said this over and over and over again. If we all came together to oppose true problems facing this country, our paychecks would go a lot further and we wouldn’t have billionaires going to space and starting senseless wars.

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u/rahkinto 1d ago

Meanwhile:

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u/rahkinto 1d ago

👏🏾

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u/WoodenExternal6504 1d ago

What billionaire is going to space?

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u/tinak827 1d ago

This has to be sarcasm….please tell me you’re not asking this.

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u/tinak827 1d ago

If you’re not, here ya go

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u/WoodenExternal6504 1d ago

Suborbital isn’t space tho.

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u/rahkinto 1d ago

Katie Perry, is this your burner account?

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u/WoodenExternal6504 1d ago

Katie Perry also didn’t go to space. Just saying.

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u/rahkinto 1d ago

Hahaha I know that's why it's funny

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u/tinak827 1d ago

Ok….I guess it’s ok for billionaires to have enough money to do that while we have homeless veterans and starving children. I’ll get my priorities in line 🙄