Stephen A. Smith Urges WNBA to ‘Take A Stand’ Amid Growing Political Drama: “Do Something About It”

Over the past few days, the WNBA has been experiencing quite a lot of chatter, but not for the right reasons. At a time when players have been setting records, and the two expansion teams are also doing well, it should have been about basketball.

Instead, most of the discourse has been about how the league is managed and what it stands for. For starters, most of the conversations were about the league’s inconsistent officiating.

That reached its peak when Alyssa Thomas‘ fist connected with Caitlin Clark‘s throat. Fans were furious with officials for not calling that foul. When it was revealed that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was forced by her boss, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, to suspend Thomas, many questioned how the league was run.

That rhetoric reached another level when Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, two former NBA players, declared their interest in playing for the WNBA.

They cited that since the league did not have a clear definition of what a woman is, and some of their players and coaches were welcoming to the idea of trans men playing in the league, they should get a crack at it too.

They have dropped the ball!… And now it’s gotten to the point where everything about them is gonna be politicized. The time has come for folks to stop whining about how stuff is being politicized and do something about it so it can’t be politicized.

Stephen A. Smith said

Stephen A. Smith urges WNBA to ‘take a stand’ against Republicans politicizing league:

“It doesn’t negate the fact that the WNBA left the door open for it to happen. They have dropped the ball! I’m talking about the league office; I’m not talking about the players. And now it’s… pic.twitter.com/wtG3Xhsh9q

— NBABase (@TheNBABase) August 10, 2026

The ESPN analyst added on his namesake show that this was all because the WNBA does not have clearly laid-down rules. Now, they have to. Otherwise, they risk their league being targeted by those who are politicizing it.

Stephen A. Smith believes the WNBA is trapped in their own mess

After asking the WNBA to take a stand and end this before it becomes a problem, Stephen A. Smith then detailed how they could face legal issues if they do not change their rules.

Women. How come you didn’t write in your language, ‘Those born female?’… You can deny them entry. You can refuse to draft them. But you’re gonna open yourself to potential legal action until you clarify what is going on.

Smith said

The 58-year-old believes that unless the league sits down and changes its rules, this discourse surrounding trans athletes and its eligibility rules will not be over.

Stephen A. Smith breaks down how the WNBA is now TRAPPED after Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared for the league.

Not only do they risk LEGAL ACTION if they deny them entry, but the commissioner alone cannot take care of the issue.

The players themselves have to help… pic.twitter.com/2oT1k7M4WH

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 10, 2026

In fact, the ESPN executive producer read the WNBA’s statement and realized that the players also had a say when drafting the latest collective bargaining agreement. He then pointed out that the players have to ensure that some random man does not get a chance to send in their application to be considered for the draft.

Stephen A. Smith reiterated that the league and its players have only themselves to blame for this mess. The only way to get out of it is to define what a woman can and cannot be.

WNBA commissioner restricts personal social media after backlash

As Stephen A. Smith pointed out, the league’s statement also distributed blame onto the players’ association. He is fine with it and wants both sides to work together to come to a solution.

However, not everyone shares his opinion. Most of the backlash so far has been directed at Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and her fellow league executives. Critics believe that it is on them for allowing this mess to overshadow the game.

This led Engelbert to restrict her X page. Only those she approves can view her posts. This is similar to what A’ja Wilson did when she was facing backlash on the social media platform.

However, the Las Vegas Aces superstar has since deleted her account and moved to other platforms. Unless Engelbert and the WNBA get to a solution soon, it is possible that she could keep her account restricted to outsiders.

Also Read:

• Caitlin Clark’s Shoes Go Hollywood: Jason Sudeikis Sports Caitlin 1s at Ted Lasso Premiere
• 3 Adjustments Caitlin Clark’s Fever Needs After Loss to Lynx Raised Question Marks