Breanna Stewart wants a safe space as transgender debate sparks rallies at Fever games

NEW YORK (AP) – New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has always seen the WNBA as an inclusive place that has served as a safe space for both its fans and the players.

What happened

For context, the WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women – individuals assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity – should be allowed to participate in the league. There has never been such a player in the WNBA. Although the league's collective bargaining agreement notes the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language concerning gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

There have been small rallies and protests outside Indiana Fever games after the matter came to a head when Sophie Cunningham of the Fever stated in an ESPN profile published last month that she was resisted to transgender girls and women competing in girls' and women's sports. There were a pair of peaceful rallies representing both sides of the transgender matter that took place before the Fever faced the New York Liberty on Saturday night.

The bottom line

In short, breanna Stewart wants a safe space as transgender debate sparks rallies at is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.