On Saturday, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley was asked her opinion on transgender inclusion in women’s sports. As Staley predicted, her answer was not well received.
As Staley and the Gamecocks prepared to play for the national championship on Sunday, Outkick’s Dan Zachasheske told Staley that he thinks men who identify as women should be able to play women’s basketball. I asked if it was.
After a moment, Staley replied, “If she’s a woman, she should play. If she considers herself a woman and wants to play sports, or vice versa, she should be able to play.”
Staley added: “That’s my opinion.”
“Do you think transgender women should be able to participate?” Zaksheske asked.
“That’s the question you want to ask, and I’ll answer it,” Staley responded. “Yes. Yes. So now Barnstormer people are going to come flooding into my timeline and interrupt me on the biggest day of our match, and I’m okay with that.” I really am.”
What’s interesting is that Staley believes the impact on her social media timeline is greater than the impact of support for female-identifying men that permeates women’s sports.
If a man with average basketball skills decided to play for South Carolina, he would probably beat out the female players on the current roster. There is very recent precedent to support her claim, as Leah Thomas was a completely mediocre swimmer in the men’s world, but began to beat Olympians and Olympic-level competitors in the women’s world.
In other words, Staley simply put the roster spots of every woman on the team and every woman in college basketball in extreme jeopardy. But you know, her timeline is the real issue.
It’s also worth noting that, as noted in X, Staley once canceled a basketball game against BYU due to completely unsubstantiated accusations of racism. Still, she couldn’t be bothered to advocate for women’s rights in sports.
It was easy for @dawnstaley Another team in another sport calls off a game against BYU after alleging a (fictional) hate crime. Will you stand up for girls and women in sports? It takes real courage. Testosterone is not a social construct and femininity is not a vibe.
— Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) April 7, 2024
Staley, herself a women’s Hall of Famer and a member of Team USA as a player, would never have achieved the success she achieved as a player if she had had to play against men. But now that her career is over, she seems content to leave the floodgates open for transgender infiltration into the current group of female players.
love and respect @dawnstaley . Too bad she didn’t have the courage to tell her her truth…I don’t think there’s any way she would actually believe what she said, especially in BC (I think her hesitation speaks volumes) (It was telling a story). Dawn is well aware that if she had played against men she would never have become a HOFer. https://t.co/1W7Lqa732t
— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) April 7, 2024
In any case, Staley’s predictions about the active timeline were very accurate.
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley said she supports men playing against women if they identify as women. She’s willing to bet, though some of the girls on her team might disagree. She deserves all the criticism she’s about to receive for this insanity.
pic.twitter.com/InQ0O0quUp— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 6, 2024
Dawn Staley knows all too well that men’s basketball is a completely different sport than women’s basketball.
That’s evident in the speed of the game, the size of the ball, and the amount of layups compared to dunks when a player takes a fast break. https://t.co/uUgLpxIDbo
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 6, 2024
Oh, look at me bowing down at the altar of the LGBTQIA+ agenda. surprised!
Awakening always takes you further than you want. Is a delusional man joining women’s basketball? I wish you the best. @dawnstaley! Let’s go, Iowa! ! ! pic.twitter.com/3tW10AMKFQ
— Virgil L. Walker (@VirgilWalkerOMA) April 7, 2024
Yes, Dawn Staley is noteworthy. But now she has proven herself to be a marketer of women to appease men.
She supports the idea that subpar men rob women of opportunities. How is this different from the “patriarchy” they were propagating their discontent with? https://t.co/LR8cFgghNk
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 6, 2024
Follow-up questions for @dawnstaley: Why are there currently two divisions in high school and college athletics: girls and boys, and boys and girls?
— Michele Tafoya (@Michele_Tafoya) April 7, 2024
Second follow-up @dawnstaley: Which current athlete would you be willing to cut to make room for a biological male who is taller, stronger, faster, and identifies as female?
— Michele Tafoya (@Michele_Tafoya) April 7, 2024
our @UofSC women’s basketball coach @dawnstaley Argues that biological males should be allowed to participate in women’s sports.
Our tax dollars should not fund people and programs that promote these shameful ideologies that are inconsistent with SC values. @Riley_Gaines_ and @ClayTravis 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/rO1yjgCR92
— Adam Morgan (@RepAdamMorgan) April 6, 2024
Iowa State will play South Carolina for the national championship at 3 p.m. ET.
