South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley was asked a pointed question about transgender players during a press conference Saturday, the day before the Shamcocks faced Iowa in the NCAA Tournament championship game.
Staley, who was the head coach at South Carolina for 16 years, answered in the affirmative when asked by Outkick if she thought transgender women should be able to participate in women’s sports.
She stopped and said: I think she should play if she’s a woman,” Staley said.
“If you identify as a woman and want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play,” Staley added. “That’s my opinion.”
Staley then detailed her initial reaction when asked if transgender women could compete.
“That’s the question you want to ask, I’ll answer it. Yes, yes,” Staley said. “So now I’m going to have barnstormer people crowding into my timeline and interrupting me on the biggest day of our game, but I’m accepting of that. I’m really ~is.”
After the press conference, Staley received mixed reactions, including praise from former player Marquesia Grant, a guard at South Carolina from 2010 to 2012.
“I love that my coach is inclusive and accepting of everyone. I love that there is no limit to how empathetic she is and how she can connect with other human beings. I love being a voice for the voiceless and always being a voice for the voiceless.” Grant wrote In the post of X.
Iowa State head coach Lisa Bruder was asked the same question Saturday, but declined to give a direct answer.
“I understand it’s a topic that people are interested in, but my focus today is tomorrow’s game, the players,” Bruder said. “Tomorrow is a big game, so we want to talk about it. But it will be an important issue for another time.”
Based on NCAA policyTransgender athletes are allowed to compete based on guidelines established for each sport.
“NCAA policy requires that the participation of transgender student-athletes in each sport be determined by the policies of that sport’s national governing body,” the NCAA wrote in 2022. Determined by the policy of the international federation for that sport. In the absence of an international federation policy, decisions will be made according to policy criteria pre-determined by the International Olympic Committee. ”
In August 2022, an NCAA policy went into effect stating that transgender athletes must submit documentation that “meets athletic standards for further documented testosterone levels.”
In March, 16 athletes sued the NCAA for allowing transgender athletes to compete in college athletics, and the lawsuit centered on University of Pennsylvania swimmer Leah Thomas.
The March Madness championship game between undefeated South Carolina and Iowa, looking to avenge their loss to LSU in last year’s title game, is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
