Nancy Hogshead, a three-time Olympic swimming gold medallist, has launched a Change.org petition urging the WNBA to explicitly restrict player eligibility to biological women, amid a wider debate over gender identity policy in women's sport. Although the league's 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play," it does not define what constitutes a woman or address sex assigned at birth, which Hogshead argues leaves the rules open to ambiguity that needs closing.

The petition has gathered more than 11,000 signatures since launching on 14 August, with Hogshead hoping to reach 100,000. The controversy was fuelled by former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announcing plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while identifying as women, prompting the league to dismiss the move as ineligible "publicity stunts". The WNBA has said there are no immediate eligibility issues and has criticised "bad-faith efforts" to exploit the debate, while commissioner Cathy Engelbert said discussions with the players' union would continue. Hogshead also praised Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly opposed transgender participation in women's sport and has drawn supportive rallies outside WNBA games.