9-Year NBA Veteran Applauds Charles Barkley’s Unfiltered Opposition to Trans Athletes Competing in the WNBA
9-Year NBA Veteran Applauds Charles Barkley’s Unfiltered Opposition to Trans Athletes Competing in the WNBA
Mon Anthony Valmoria Wed, August 26, 2026 at 12:07 PM UTC
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Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Charles Barkley has never been one to shy away from controversial topics, and his latest stance on the transgender athlete debate in the WNBA drew support from a former NBA player.
After Enes Kanter’s ejection from Sunday’s Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game, Barkley weighed in on the transgender athlete debate and called out the league’s leadership for failing to take necessary steps and instead sidestepping the issue.
9-Year NBA Veteran Backs Charles Barkley’s Stance on WNBA’s Trans Athlete Debate
Kanter, who had fuelled WNBA’s transgender athlete debate by declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft, was involved in another hot-topic moment during Sunday’s clash between Fever and Sky.
The former Boston Celtics center attended the matchup wearing a shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. Adult human female.” However, after a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud in the third quarter, Kanter was ejected and escorted out of the arena by security.
RELATED:‘It Can’t Snowball Anymore’ — Sports Host Urges Cathy Engelbert to ‘Put Her Foot Down’ on Trans Controversy to Stop WNBA From Being a ‘Laughingstock’
During his appearance on SiriusXM Radio, Barkley addressed the off-court controversies plaguing the W and criticized NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for allowing the issue to grow.
“Under no circumstances do I think men should play against women. Zero! I’m disappointed in Adam Silver and Cathy,” Barkley said on Monday.
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Pointing to Kanter’s involvement, Barkley claimed that league leadership fell short in preventing the situation from becoming a larger public controversy.
“You can’t let out stupid stuff to come out to the internet, which is one of the worst things to happen to the world,” Barkley said. “The people are looking for attention now.”
The 11-time All-Star made his message from leadership clear: “Adam [Silver] should come out — and Cathy [Engelbert] … ‘There’s no transgender people going to play in the WNBA! If you don’t like it, Kick rocks!’” Barkley said. “The WNBA is for women only — period!”
Barkley’s scathing criticism of the league’s handling of the trans athlete debate received support from Chandler Parsons.
The controversy had erupted in July when Fever guard Sophie Cunningham opened up about her stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Since then, the issue has continued to grow, with rallies and debates extending beyond the WNBA and former NBA pro Royce White joining Kanter in declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Following the incident, the Sky banned Kanter from Wintrust Arena, but the league’s eligibility rules and the possible aftermath of the controversy remain points of contention.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Sports”
