The viral claim that “thousands of people online” are demanding Brittney Griner be expelled from the WNBA unless she can “prove to be a woman” needs serious context before being presented as breaking news.
There is a genuine 2026 debate surrounding transgender eligibility in women’s sports, and the WNBA has recently addressed the issue. But the available reporting does not establish that Griner is facing expulsion because she has failed to prove that she is a woman.
THE WNBA ACTUALLY ADDRESSED THE CONTROVERSY
The WNBA said on August 12 that there were “no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA” while condemning what it described as bad-faith efforts to use the transgender-athlete debate to demean or marginalize people.
That directly undercuts the idea that the league has launched an eligibility case against Griner.
The league’s current collective bargaining agreement does reportedly state that only women are eligible to play in the WNBA, but reporting also indicates that the league does not publicly provide a more detailed definition of “woman” or a publicly available transgender/intersex eligibility policy.
THE CLAIM ABOUT GRINER IS NOT NEW
Claims questioning Griner’s sex have circulated online for years, largely because of her height, build and appearance.
A 2022 PolitiFact investigation found no evidence supporting claims that Griner is a man and rated the claim “Pants on Fire.”
Snopes has also previously debunked a related viral claim that Griner had been suspended after the WNBA supposedly discovered she was a man.
So this latest post appears to be combining a real current debate about WNBA eligibility with an unsubstantiated claim specifically targeting Griner.
BUT THE UNDERLYING WNBA DEBATE IS REAL
That distinction is important.
The WNBA is genuinely dealing with questions about transgender participation, eligibility standards and the definition of women’s sports. The issue has become increasingly prominent following public comments from players and outside figures.
But debating what eligibility rules should look like is not the same thing as proving that a particular player is secretly ineligible.
Unless the WNBA announces an investigation or an eligibility determination involving Griner, claims that she must “prove to be a woman” or faces expulsion should not be reported as established fact.
