Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is speaking out after a “Save Women’s Sports” demonstration took place outside Chase Center ahead of Wednesday’s WNBA matchup against the Minnesota Lynx.
Nakase was asked about the protest and the ongoing debate surrounding transgender participation in women’s sports. Rather than engaging directly with the protesters’ position, Nakase focused her comments on what she described as an increasingly hateful environment surrounding the issue.
“In the world and just in sports right now, there’s too much hate that’s going on. Too much hate speech. I would highly suggest people lead with love. I love to lead with love.”
Nakase continued by emphasizing the importance of love and support, saying she wants to continue standing on that message.
Her comments have sparked debate across social media, with some interpreting her remarks as a condemnation of the “Save Women’s Sports” movement. However, her exact comments did not explicitly say that the phrase “Save Women’s Sports” itself constitutes hate speech.
The demonstration in San Francisco was part of a growing national debate over transgender participation in women’s sports. The issue has increasingly become part of the WNBA conversation, particularly following Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s public opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports.
Nakase has previously made her position on transgender inclusion clear. Earlier this month, she said she supports women and girls having the opportunity to play sports and that her definition of inclusion includes transgender women.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve also addressed the demonstration, saying, “trans kids belong,” while encouraging people to educate themselves about the transgender community.
The debate is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, putting the WNBA at the center of a much larger conversation about inclusion, competitive fairness and the future of women’s sports.
What do you think about Natalie Nakase’s comments?
