Ex-ESPN anchor slams ‘laughable’ WNBA non-binary mascot amid trans athlete debate
Ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele called the mascot “laughable”. (Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz/Getty)
Not everyone is a fan of the Toronto Tempo’s new non-binary mascot. Ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele called the mascot “laughable” amid the WNBA‘s trans-athlete debate.
The Toronto Tempo unveiled its two new mascots, Dez and Dot, last week. Fans particularly paid attention to Dez, the “borealis blue” snapping turtle from Muskoka, Ontario. Dez uses she/they pronouns.
According to the pair’s backstory, Dot followed the northern lights south to Ontario, where she met Dez. The two then discovered a “shared love of rhythm”. The mascot joins Seattle Storm mascot Doppler as one of the WNBA’s nonbinary mascots.
The mascot announcement comes at a tricky time for the WNBA as the league is embroiled in a debate around trans athletes. In July, Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham claimed banning trans women from women’s sports was “common sense”.
Steele, who worked for ESPN as a co-host and anchor from 2007 to 2023, is the latest to weigh in. Following the mascot announcement, Steele implied the WNBA mascot was an apparent jab at Cunningham.
Though the mascot’s announcement did not explicitly reference Cunningham, they were unveiled the same night the Canadian team played Indiana Fever and Cunningham. Fever won the game 101-95.
‘Your desperate attempt to prove how inclusive you are’
On X (Twitter), Steele posted: “When your mascot is a ‘butch, non-binary Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle who uses she/they pronouns and has a fondness for soft shell tacos’ … you deserve to be laughed at… simply for your desperate attempt to prove how inclusive you are. Laughable.”
Steele campaigned for President Donald Trump during the 2024 US presidential election. Back in 2023, Steele made her stance clear, posing in a “Make Women Female Again” hat.
Furthermore, Trump thanked the 53-year-old for her support after he signed the executive order banning trans women from women’s sports.
Trump said Steele had been “very strong on the issue.” GLAAD said the order has “zero credibility protecting women and girls”.
Currently and historically, no out trans player has played in the league. The WNBA’s policy states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA”. The rule has no explicit language referencing gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
Cunningham recently remarked that the reaction to her comments has been positive, as it’s bringing more fans to the game.
WNBA commissioner Engelbert has been sparing with her comments on the topic. Though, she recently denounced people trying to “sow divisiveness” over the league’s handling of the situation.
Previously, she called out “bad faith” efforts of two ex-NBA players who declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft. One of these players, Enes Kanter Freedom, was ejected from a WNBA game this weekend while wearing an anti-trans T-shirt.
However, several high-profile WNBA voices have stood beside the trans community. Breanna Stewart called for a “safe space,” Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a ‘Trans Kids Belong’ shirt, and Cunningham’s coach Stephanie White said she doesn’t believe “exclusion is an answer.”
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