A culture-war fight has broken out inside the WNBA over transgender athletes, putting star players and their coaches on opposite sides.

• Guard Sophie Cunningham said she does not want biologically male players in women's locker rooms, and drew heavy backlash for it.
• A rival coach wore a "trans kids belong" shirt on the sideline in response, and several coaches — including Caitlin Clark's — publicly backed trans inclusion in the league.
• Critics argue the league is protecting male-bodied athletes at the expense of women, and say its biggest draw, Caitlin Clark, is being pushed out and disliked partly for being its white superstar.
• The WNBA is still losing money each year despite a new billion-dollar team valuation and rising revenue, so the fight over its direction has real stakes.

Outlook: With the league leaning into inclusion and no rule change from NBA leadership, expect the fight over trans athletes and Clark's treatment to keep simmering.