WNBA player faces backlash over op-ed criticizing IOC for policy to protect women's sports

WNBA player Brianna Turner faced societal media backlash aft she wrote an op-ed expressing her displeasure pinch nan International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) argumentation to support men retired of women’s sports.

Turner, who precocious signed a statement pinch nan Las Vegas Aces aft playing professionally successful Australia, wrote successful USA Today that she didn’t judge nan caller argumentation nan IOC implemented really protected nan women’s sporting events.

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Indiana Fever guardant Brianna Turner reacts aft defeating nan Atlanta Dream successful crippled 3 of nan first information of nan 2025 WNBA playoffs astatine Gateway Center Arena successful College Park, Ga., connected Sept. 18, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)

The IOC said it would usage familial testing to guarantee that women’s events only characteristic females. Turner accused nan IOC of utilizing nan caller policies to "scapegoat" transgender athletes while ignoring "real" issues regarding women successful sports.

"Policies that azygous retired transgender women and athletes pinch intersex variations do not protect women’s sports. They manufacture a scapegoat while nan existent challenges to women’s sports spell unaddressed: unequal funding, constricted entree to training and facilities, salary disparities, male-dominated leadership, gender-based unit and harassment crossed race, sex, intersexual predisposition and gender identity," Turner wrote connected Friday.

She besides denied nan IOC's statement that nan caller argumentation is being enacted to make judge that female sports are safe and fair, claiming location were nary biologic advantages successful transgender athletes.

WNBA PLAYER OPPOSES NEW OLYMPICS TRANSGENDER POLICY, SAYING THEY DO 'ANYTHING BUT' PROTECT WOMEN

Indiana Fever guardant Brianna Turner celebrates aft defeating nan Los Angeles Sparks 76-75 astatine Crypto.com Arena successful Los Angeles, Calif., connected Aug. 29, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

"In much than 15 years of organized basketball, I’ve played pinch and against group who are transgender and undoubtedly group pinch intersex variations, and I've ne'er knowledgeable immoderate unfair advantages. I saw these players arsenic my chap athletes, not my enemies," Turner wrote.

She concluded by demanding that nan IOC do not usage women athletes successful efforts to "shame aliases exclude" transgender athletes.

Turner received a torrent of social media responses to her critique of nan IOC.

Turner’s op-ed followed akin consequence from erstwhile U.S. women’s shot prima Megan Rapinoe and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Sue Bird.

"We already cognize that biology, arsenic overmuch arsenic we want it to beryllium conscionable bully and cleanable and tight and perfectly successful 1 class and another, it’s not," Rapinoe said earlier this month. "We cognize that. So, now what we’re doing is subjecting everybody, each women and each group who are identifying arsenic women to this really invasive testing that only to maine says like, ‘Oh we’re conscionable trying to whittle it down to a definite type of woman.' Is that what we’re doing? That’s really nan full crippled here."

Bird said nan IOC policy was akin to "fearmongering."

Turner is group to play pinch nan Aces this season. She was pinch nan Indiana Fever successful 2025 and nan Chicago Sky successful 2024 aft spending nan first 5 seasons of her profession pinch nan Phoenix Mercury.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry speaks to volunteers, up of nan 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Milan, Italy, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Daniele Mascolo/Pool Photo via AP)

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There are nary known transgender athletes competing successful nan WNBA.

Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.