OutKick and WNBA’s Trans-Women Tryouts for Expansion Teams Due to Pending Lockout: Clay Travis Pivots
Bias: Center–Center
Quick Take
- OutKick Sports and WNBA plan first-ever Trans-Women Tryouts, led by unlikely allies Clay Travis, Kate Fagan, Sue Bird, and Megan Rapinoe.
- Clay, once anti-trans in women’s sports, credits Nancy Mace’s anti-trans obsession for his change of heart.
- Tryouts are unofficial, with top players eyed for 2026 WNBA Draft eligibility, if the Players Association agrees.
- WNBA Players Association vote is stuck below 50%, so Bird and Rapinoe tap A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese to rally support, and to boost WNBA’s profile.
Women and “Women”
Clay Travis, OutKick’s head honcho who once swore trans-women in women’s sports spelled doom for fairness, has done a complete 180. Spurred by Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s relentless crusade against trans activists,
Clay’s joined forces with ex-ESPN commentator Kate Fagan, WNBA legend Sue Bird, and soccer icon Megan Rapinoe to launch the WNBA’s first-ever Trans-Women Tryouts, due to the potential upcoming lockout. “Let’s make women’s sports legendary!” insiders quoted Clay as saying.
The WNBA’s cautiously on board, hosting an unofficial tryout in a Nashville high school gym, where scouts will hunt for trans talent for the 2026 Draft. No date’s locked in yet.
The WNBA Players Association is skeptical of the plan, with votes to approve draft eligibility for trans-women tryout stars hovering below the 50% needed to move forward.
Word is, some players worry it’ll turn into a PR fiasco, while others suspect Clay might stream the whole event on OutKick, a FOX property, with a “Trans Tryouts: Live!” banner to poke fun at trans-women.
To boost credibility, Bird and Rapinoe are enlisting WNBA stars A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese to champion the initiative. Clay swears it’s not about politics but about “making history and lifting the WNBA’s ratings and profitability.”
Clay insists this isn’t about politics, it’s about “history and elevating the WNBA.”
One thing’s certain: this long-shot play could either reshape the WNBA or flop dramatically
