"Hate that she didn’t have courage to speak the truth": Former ESPN host speaks out against Dawn Staley's comments on trans athletes

The Final Four took an unexpected turn when Dawn Staley was asked about trans rights in the pre-game press conference for the national championship. During the press conference on Saturday, Staley was asked by OutKick reporter Dan Zaksheske whether she thought "biological males" should be allowed to play collegiate level women's basketball.

Here is what Dawn Staley said:

“I’m on the opinion of if you’re a woman you should play, if you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play. That’s my opinion.”

The answer generated controversy among personalities across sports media. The participation of trans women in women's sports has been a controversial subject over the last four years, due to the perceived inherent biological advantage that someone who has undergone male puberty has.

SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele was one of those who criticized Staley for her comments. Here's an excerpt of what she tweeted on her X account:

"Love & respect @dawnstaley . Hate that she didn’t have the courage to speak the truth...especially bc I don’t think there’s any way she actually believes what she said (her hesitation spoke volumes)... So it’s irresponsible & unfair for her & other retired female players in all sports to conveniently say that they’re now ok with this... Isn’t it crazy that we never see women trying to go play in the @NBA or with the @USMNT or on the @PGATOUR etc ?!"

Did Dawn Staley miss an opportunity to set the record straight?

There's been much debate regarding the inclusion of trans women athletes in women's sports in recent years. The debate gained steam with the case involving UPenn's Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender athlete to win a Div-I NCAA national title. She won the women's 500-yard freestyle, beating Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant. However, her time was 9.18 seconds behind Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky's NCAA record.

Thomas jumped from 65th spot in the men's ranking for the 500-yard freestyle to No. 1 in the women's. In the 200-yard she jumped from 554th to the No. 5 position. In June 2022 the International Swimming Federation (FINA) banned trans women from participating in swimming events, except those who can demonstrate that they have not gone through the process of male puberty.

A significant number of US States, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, and others have passed legislation prohibiting the participation of trans women in women's sports at the elementary school, high school, and collegiate level. The US House of Representatives passed bill HR 734 in April 2023, prohibiting the participation of trans women in women's sports across the nation. Nonetheless, the Senate hasn't considered the matter yet and President Biden has said he would veto any such bill.

While transgender activists have lambasted these measures as part of a "transphobic" campaign, people on the other side of the argument maintain that the pro-trans policies force women to accept sharing an environment with former males who in some instances retain part of their genitalia.

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer from the University of Kentucky who competed against Lia Thomas, said that pro-trans policies are hindering the development of women's sports by taking chances away from biological women. Gaines famously said the following when asked about sharing a locker room with Lia Thomas:

"That was a situation I tried to refrain from looking at entirely, we can't unsee it. Being in that space with a male, it's like a bad car wreck... "I was trying to run away from this question. 6-foot-4 male. Use your imagination."

Were Dawn Staley's comments irresponsible? Well, she is entitled to her opinion, and her point of view seems to be inclusive.