CLEVELAND (AP) 鈥� South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley said Saturday that she believes transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women鈥檚 sports.
Staley was asked at the news conference the day before her unbeaten Gamecocks play Iowa for the national championship for her opinion on the issue.
鈥淚鈥檓 of the opinion that if you鈥檙e a woman, you should play,鈥� Staley said. 鈥淚f you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play.鈥�
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder was later asked the same question.
鈥淚 understand it鈥檚 a topic that people are interested in, but today my focus is on the game tomorrow, my players,鈥� Bluder said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an important game we have tomorrow, and that鈥檚 what I want to be here to talk about. But I know it鈥檚 an important issue for another time.鈥�
has become a hot-button issue among conservative groups and others who believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on girls鈥� and women鈥檚 sports teams. Last month, more than a dozen current and former women鈥檚 college athletes against the NCAA, accusing the college sports governing body of violating their rights by allowing transgender women to compete in women鈥檚 sports.
At least 20 states have approved a version of a blanket ban on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and collegiate sports teams statewide, but a to forbid such outright bans is set to be finalized this year after multiple delays and much pushback. As proposed, the rule would establish that blanket bans would , the landmark gender-equity legislation enacted in 1972.
In 2022, the NCAA revised in what it called an attempt to align with national sports governing bodies. The third phase of the revised policy adds national and international sports governing body standards to the NCAA鈥檚 rules and is scheduled to be implemented Aug. 1.
Staley, a prominent voice for women's sports and a said she understood the political nature of the question and the reaction her answer could cause.
鈥淪o now the barnstormer people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 OK with that. I really am.鈥�
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