Why are so many women basketball players gay
Welcome to my annual Who’s Gay in the WNBA Report! For those of you who are new, every year I break down the list of athletes who are openly queer in the league. As a queer person who has played basketball my entire life, the off-court drama is always equally as electrifying as the on-court display of skills. Knowing who’s same-sex attracted and who’s internet dating who only adds to that for me. If you’re more of a pure viewer of the game and prefer only knowing what’s going on while the clock is running, I do regularly generate WNBA TikToks that I like to think are beautiful informative!
The league is well known to have some of the best pre-game walk-up outfits in all of professional sports, so you’re missing out if you don’t go after at least the @wnba account on Instagram. Here’s a complete list of all out gay players in the league, broken down by team. For my purposes, “Out” means confirmed by the player either in an interview or on their social media. No matter how masculine presenting someone is, I will not be speculating!
Last Updated: 6/27/25
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are a very nice team and as long as A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray are both there they’ll always have a shot at
According to a 2022 study, about 38% of Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players are male lover. Most players are comfortable talking about their sexual orientation publicly, and the league has gained a reputation for having homosexual couples.
Key takeaways
- A 2022 study shows that 38% of WNBA players identify as lesbian.
- Chicago Sky does not have a player who is openly gay.
- Phoenix Mercury has the most openly gay players.
- Some of the most high-profile gay WNBA players include Brittney Griner, Sue Fowl, Diana Taurasi, and Layshia Clarendon.
To compile the list of lesbian WNBA players, we considered players who have made this information universal. We relied on Interbasket and Record Through The Nighttime for the latest information.
How many WNBA players are gay?
The number of lgbtq+ WNBA players has been a subject of interest because of the frequency of players who identify as queer woman . Despite claims that nearly all players are gay, information reveals that as of 2024, over 40 playerspublicly identified with this orientation, with the Phoenix Mercury having the most players. So, who is openly gay in the WNBA?
Aerial Powers
- Full name: Aerial Powers
- Date of b
Is the WNBA a queer league? Clay Travis weighs in and shares a surprising data
Clay Travis, the founder of Outkick, made an appearance on Fox News this week to weigh in on the ongoing drama surrounding Caitlin Clark and the relax of the WNBA. Travis, known for his right-leaning views, suggested that Clark may be facing mistreatment due to her sexuality. He stated, "Caitlin Clark is a white heterosexual woman in a Ebony lesbian league and they resent and are insecure of all of the attention and the shoe deal that she got."
Travis went on to theorize that the league's resentment towards Clark stems from her being in a relationship with a former Iowa men's basketball player, which contrasts with the sexual orientation of many WNBA players.
He added: "And I think her having a boyfriend, I think it's a fiancé, who by the way said there needs to be an enforcer, creates two different identity politics universes that she doesn't fit in in this league. They don't fond her cause she's ivory and they don't enjoy her cause she's straight."
However, it's important to notice that Travis' claim about 70 percent of WNBA players being lesbian is not backed by any credible source. In fa
Which WNBA players are gay and how many of them are gay? Well, when Autostraddle published our very first list of out gay WNBA players several years back, it held merely 15 names. Last season, that number had climbed to 38, although two of the players on last year’s list ended up getting waived from their teams shortly into the season, leaving us with 36. But this year, despite losing a lot of last year’s roster, we continue to win with even more gay players, coming in at 44 so far this year.
Atlanta Dream Gay Players
Brittney Griner
Jordin Canada
In addition to an already prolific seven-year career in the WNBA, Canada is a musician. follow jordin canada on instagram
Chicago Sky Gay Players
Maddy Westbeld
Westbeld is new to the W after being selected 16th overall by the Sky out of Notre Dame in the 2025 WNBA draft. She’s dating her Notre Dame teammate Olivia Miles.follow her on instagram
Connecticut Sun Queer Players
Saniya Rivers
The 8th annual draft in this year’s class, Rivers comes off some highlight performing at South Carolina and NC State. Since joining the Sun, her friendship and TikTok streams with Marina Mabrey contain