That old maxim “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” is being seriously challenged by today’s WNBA. Ever since Sophie Cunningham’s declaration of basic biology last month, the league’s crisis PR firm has been racking up billable hours. That seems lost on Commissioner Cathy Engelberg, who seems intent on turning the league into a $5 billion clown show without any grasp on what fans want or America believes.

The four-week circus continues to read like tabloid news, thanks to the front office’s stubborn refusal to clarify what the “W” in WNBA stands for. While the league’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement seems to imply that trans-identifying players aren’t eligible to join, Engelberg continues to fan the flames of LGBT extremism. Instead of silencing critics with a single-sentence statement that biological men aren’t welcome in the WNBA, she’s sat idly by while teams mock Cunningham and coaches openly advocate for everything the league isn’t. The controversy is so out of hand that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared for the WNBA draft just to call Engelberg’s bluff.

On the court, clashes between girls’ sports advocates and arena and team officials have taken on a life of their own. A traveling group of Cunningham supporters have been harassed at games, including Kanter Freedom — who was banned by Chicago Sky management on Sunday after he sat courtside in a shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. Adult human female.” After standing and cheering when Sophie sank a three-pointer, he got into a verbal spat with her opponent Natasha Cloud, who unleashed an f-bomb-laced tirade that prompted Freedom to stand up and say, “I’m just here to protect women, and that’s all.”

For that, Sky owner Michael Alter agreed to have him ejected. “He has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat,” he told ESPN. Apparently, that also extends to his bid to join the WNBA draft, which Engelberg has since smacked down. “Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA, league sources tell Front Office Sports,” Colin Salao reported. Their bid is a “publicity stunt,” the front office has decided, adding that it’s “not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others.” The WNBA “will not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes.”

And yet, even in that statement, a perfect opportunity to put this scandal to bed, there was no clarification about the WNBA’s policy. It’s enough to drive even die-hard liberals like Charles Barkley crazy. The 11-time NBA all-star, who will never be mistaken for conservative, has been beside himself at the league’s inability to clean up its mess and embrace common sense.

On Michael Smerconish’s podcast this week, he made it clear up front that he supports the LGBT community. “I got nothing but love and respect for gay people and transgender people. But,” he paused for emphasis, “under no circumstances do I think men should play against women. Zero. I’m disappointed in [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver and Cathy [Engelbert].” And while some might criticize Kanter Freedom’s strategy, Barkley admits, “He has a point though, because Cathy and Adam haven’t said, ‘Hey, it’s in the title. WNBA! We’re not going to have transgender people in the WNBA, and we’re not going to discuss it again.’ That’s what Adam and Kathy should have done two or three weeks ago before they turn it over to the internet [for] every fool, idiot, and jack*** to have an opinion on.”

What they should have done, Sir Charles argued, is say, “[N]o transgender people [are] going to play in the WNBA. If you don’t like it, kick rocks. We’re not going to discuss it anymore.”

Asked if the whole saga was good for business at the WNBA, Barkley was emphatic: “No, I don’t. I think the WNBA has had an awful year.” And largely, he shook his head, of their own making. Rattling off a string of coups for the league, the former NBA star explained that this should have been a great season for them. “They all got raises. They started making the money that they deserved. They expanded. They’re going to increase games next season. But I can’t remember the last time I heard something positive about the WNBA.” This meltdown, an entirely avoidable feud over an issue 80% of the country agrees on, has only turned off potential fans.

Not to mention, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) points out, opened itself to legal liability. In a letter to Engelbert, the organization urges the league to clean up the ambiguity surrounding the definition of women. “ADF calls on the WNBA to embrace common sense and the indisputable truth that men aren’t women, and no amount of drugs can change that. Women deserve equal athletic opportunity. And WNBA fans deserve the opportunity to express these truths in peaceful ways — just as other fans are allowed to express opposing views at WNBA games. The WNBA should stand up for women and free expression, not sacrifice them out of fear.”

The attorneys also warned the league to stop cracking down on viewpoints like Cunningham’s or the fans who support fairness in women’s sports. “When using public facilities and acting in concert with public officials, private entities like the WNBA and its partners cannot censor these views without violating the First Amendment. Censorship like this could also violate some state and local public accommodations laws.”

At the end of the day, Cunningham said, the only thing that can redeem the WNBA at this point is new leadership. “You do have to have a person in power who is bold, who is confident, who wants the best for the players and not maybe for themselves all the time. So I do feel like, as a whole, that could be a position that’s maybe open at the end of the year, but that’s not my call,” the Indiana Fever guard shrugged.

If the league doesn’t fix things — and soon — all the positive attention Caitlin Clark’s brought to the game will be lost. Engelbert’s team is blowing it in this unique window to attract new fans to the game, Barkley underscored. “[And] what’s going to happen once the NFL starts in two weeks? Yeah. Nobody’s going to care about the WNBA.”