Texas Attorney General Paxton voices cautious optimism on WNBA treatment of Cunningham supporters

At an Indiana Fever versus Dallas Wings matchup, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton watched the game with his daughter and observed supporters of WNBA player Sophie Cunningham wearing sex-based competition shirts. He told reporters he believes the league is addressing the treatment of those fans, expressing cautious optimism while maintaining his concerns. Paxton said he is reviewing the matter but did not outline any formal steps.

He lauded Cunningham for speaking out against biological males competing in women’s sports and urged Texans to admire her courage. The attorney general reiterated Texas’s statutes that require athletes in public schools and colleges to compete according to biological sex, noting his ongoing lawsuits against the NCAA and other bodies over transgender policies. He also commented on former NBA players announcing intentions to join the 2027 WNBA Draft as a challenge to the league’s eligibility rules.