Fox News tried to dunk on the WNBA. It missed

Fox News Expands WNBA Coverage as Debates Over Player Conduct and Transgender Eligibility Continue

According to an analysis by Media Matters for America, a progressive media monitoring organization, Fox News has aired at least 206 segments totaling more than 13.5 hours on the WNBA since June 25, 2025. More than eight of those hours addressed transgender athletes in women's sports, even though no transgender players currently compete in the league. The coverage has centered on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, teammate Sophie Cunningham, and several on-court incidents.

The WNBA has seen increased attention from conservative outlets in recent years, particularly following Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia in 2022. In 2025, Fox News developed a “hard contact timeline” tracking physical play against Clark, who is white in a league where approximately 70 percent of players are Black. The network and affiliated commentators have described some physical contact as excessive and suggested possible racial motivations.

On June 25, 2025, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas committed a flagrant foul on Clark. Fox programs including “The Five,” “The Ingraham Angle,” “Hannity,” and “Gutfeld!” devoted extended segments to the play and subsequent league response. Cunningham later stated in an ESPN interview that she opposed transgender women competing in women’s sports. Her remarks prompted additional coverage, and her social media following increased afterward.

Outkick founder Clay Travis publicly offered to finance a hypothetical Nashville expansion team composed entirely of transgender players. Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced they would consider entering future WNBA drafts while identifying as women. Jesse Watters stated on air that he was finished covering the WNBA after three weeks of discussion on “The Five.”

When the Fever played the Seattle Storm, two teenage spectators wore shirts referencing XX and XY chromosomes and displayed a sign supporting Cunningham. Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted the fans, reportedly using profanity and calling them “insane.” The league fined and suspended Keaton for five home games. The Storm issued an apology. Cunningham described the owner’s conduct as “truly embarrassing” and stated that transgender women, transgender men, and others remained welcome in her view. Fox News Digital and Outkick highlighted the teenagers’ account. British author J.K. Rowling described the fans as “heroines.” Activist Jennifer Sey, whose XX-XY Athletics brand produced the shirts, and former swimmer Riley Gaines attended a subsequent Fever game against the Minnesota Lynx.

President Donald Trump commented that Clark had been “treated rather rough.” Newsmax host Greg Kelly suggested law enforcement involvement over the foul. Eleven House Republicans, led by Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, wrote to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert questioning whether physical play against Clark might be racially motivated and raised the possibility of federal review. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier indicated potential prosecution for assault in connection with similar incidents. Commentators on Fox News and in The Federalist and Washington Examiner described anti-white bias or entitlement issues within the league.

Clark has stated that she does not wish to be positioned as a political figure, that harassment is unacceptable, and that she supports her Black teammates. Some conservative commentators have criticized her for declining to endorse positions on transgender participation in sports. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh described Clark as “the biggest coward in the history of sports.” Fox’s Outkick vertical noted that some on the left had urged Clark to “shut up and dribble.” Coverage of Black players such as Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington has also drawn scrutiny from conservative outlets.

The WNBA finalized an 11-year media rights agreement valued at approximately $2.2 billion with Disney, Amazon, and NBC in 2024, before the period of intensified Fox coverage. The deal took effect in 2025. League viewership rose 23 percent that season, and ticket sales increased 26 percent. A new collective bargaining agreement ratified in spring 2026 raised the team salary cap from roughly $1.5 million to $7 million. The league has issued statements emphasizing that players should not serve as political proxies. Some fans have displayed Trans Pride flags at games. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt reading “Trans kids belong” during an ESPN broadcast and stated that a faction of people had elevated the transgender issue. Fans of the Golden State Valkyries applauded Carrington upon her return after an Aug. 8, 2025, flagrant foul against Cunningham.

The media rights agreement predates the 2025-2026 coverage period examined by Media Matters. League officials have attributed attendance and viewership gains to broader interest in the product rather than any single network’s programming decisions.