The inclusion of transgender women in sports has sparked significant debate, particularly after Lia Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas recently weighed in on the discussion, expressing his skepticism about transgender women playing in the WNBA.

In an interview, Arenas stated his belief that transgender women won't compete in the WNBA, even at the high school level. He explained that elite female basketball players consider themselves on par with male players and strive to train with them. Therefore, he doesn't foresee a highly skilled male player choosing to transition and compete against women.

Arenas argued that a male player skilled enough to consider transitioning would likely be playing professional basketball overseas or already competing with men. He reiterated that top female players aspire to compete at the highest level, which they perceive as the NBA, not the WNBA. He used Candace Parker as an example, suggesting that top female players see themselves primarily as basketball players, regardless of league affiliation, and would prefer to compete against men under standard basketball rules.

While there are currently no transgender athletes in the WNBA, Out Sports estimated in 2022 that approximately 20% of WNBA rosters included openly LGBT players.