The right is pushing its anti-trans fury on the WNBA. Players and fans are loudly pushing back

A WNBA playoff atmosphere at Wilka’s Sports Bar in lower Manhattan turned into a loud display of support for transgender people in sports, as fans cheered after New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones blocked Angel Reese and chest-bumped her, prompting teammates to separate them. The bar’s prominent sign—“trans people belong in sports”—mirrors much of the league’s largely queer fan culture. Since summer, rightwing activists have targeted the WNBA over transgender participation, despite the league having no explicit rule banning or allowing trans women and no trans women in the league. Players and fans, including Natasha Cloud and Gabby Williams, have pushed back, even staging rallies and defending their safe spaces.