{"id":6166,"date":"2026-08-03T06:07:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T06:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6166"},"modified":"2026-08-03T06:07:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T06:07:42","slug":"valkyries-coach-natalie-nakase-makes-strong-statement-on-trans-athletes-in-sports-im-all-about-inclusivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6166","title":{"rendered":"Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase makes strong statement on trans athletes in sports: \u2018I\u2019m all about inclusivity\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 Natalie Nakase didn\u2019t shy away from giving her thoughts about transgender athletes.<\/p>\n

Read more SF Giants begin selling by trading Tyler Mahle to Atlanta Braves<\/a><\/p>\n

The Valkyries\u2019 second-year coach was asked before Sunday night\u2019s game against the Toronto Tempo about Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham\u2019s recent comments about transgender athletes participating in women\u2019s sports, and Nakase was resolved in her convictions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, sports is about belonging,\u201d Nakase said. \u201cIt\u2019s about inclusivity. It\u2019s about allowing everyone to be their authentic self.<\/p>\n

Since Cunningham re-sparked the debate about transgender athletes two weeks ago by saying in an ESPN profile that she believed \u201cyoung girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport shouldn\u2019t have to go against biological men,\u201d the sports world has entered another chapter of debate regarding trans women\u2019s participation in sports.<\/p>\n

Asked about Cunningham\u2019s comments, Nakase leaned into her own experience as someone excluded from sports in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m big on that just because I have been criticized for my height, for my ethnicity,\u201d continued Nakase, who is Japanese-American. \u201cI\u2019ve been in those \u2018you shouldn\u2019t belong here\u2019 moments many times. And for me, I don\u2019t want that space, especially Golden State, to ever feel like that. So I\u2019m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that includes trans women. So I\u2019m all about inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more The Trump administration is ending a Medicare drug subsidy program. Here\u2019s how it could affect costs<\/a><\/p>\n

Nakase is not the only coach who has spoken out \u2013 Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a \u201cTrans Kids Belong\u201d shirt during the Fever-Lynx game in Minneapolis on Sunday.<\/p>\n

After Sunday\u2019s game in Minneapolis, Reeve and Cunningham spoke briefly on the court in a conversation that appeared somewhat animated. Recent Fever games, including today\u2019s, have seen protests outside the arena both for and against trans participation in sports.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Reeve fleshed out her thoughts on the issue Saturday, telling reporters, \u201cI come from a space of inclusion. The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women\u2019s sports. This is what\u2019s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nakase echoed that sentiment in her response.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to our special Valkyries newsletter for game analysis, scores, and everything you want to know about the team from Ballhalla.<\/p>\n

Read more Valkyries rout shorthanded Toronto Tempo to snap two-game losing streak<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Golden State Valkyries coach discussed her own experiences being excluded in sports when addressing Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nValkyries coach Natalie Nakase makes strong statement on trans athletes in sports: \u2018I\u2019m all about inclusivity\u2019 - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6166\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase makes strong statement on trans athletes in sports: \u2018I\u2019m all about inclusivity\u2019 - 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