"I'm terribly disappointed": South Carolina HC Dawn Staley's take on transgender athletes draws criticism from former college basketball coach

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley offered her opinion on the recent ban on transgender athletes from participating in women's sports by the NAIA. The national champion believes that anyone who identifies with any gender should have the freedom to participate in sports.

This take by Staley didn't go well with former women's basketball coach and member of the Idaho House of Representatives, Barbara Ehardt. The former Cal State Fullerton expressed her disappointment in the opinion of Staley, especially at a time when women's sports are witnessing sporadic growth at the college level.

"We had one of the biggest stages that we've ever had in women's sports," Ehardt told OutKick. "To have Dawn Staley, on the biggest stage and at a time when we've received unprecedented support and following, hem and haw and then say, if they identify as women they should play? I'm terribly disappointed."

What did Dawn Staley say about the eligibility of transgender athletes?

According to Dawn Staley, who recently secured her third national championship as the head coach of South Carolina, transgender individuals should be allowed to compete in women’s sports at the collegiate level. To her, it’s all about the athlete’s gender identity rather than the gender at birth.

“I’m of the opinion that if you’re a woman you should play,” Staley said. “If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play. That’s my opinion."

Her opinion obviously goes against the beliefs of the NAIA Council of Presidents. The body voted unanimously to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. Nonetheless, the NCAA leadership holds a different belief from that of the NAIA.

Human rights body wants NAIA to listen to Dawn Staley

The NAIA's decision to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in women's sports has garnered attention from human rights organizations nationwide, eliciting condemnation of the organization's stance.

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the nation, issued a response to the development through a statement from its president. The body contends the NAIA should listen to the opinions of people like Dawn Stanley.

“The NAIA should listen to Hall of Famers like Coach Dawn Staley, and do everything it can to expand access to athletics, including to correct the long-standing lack of resources and support for women’s athletics, instead of engaging in even more discrimination”

The issue of transgender athletes in women’s sports remains a controversial one and will continue to be debated for the next couple of years. In an era where identity politics continues to thicken, it is to be seen how much impact it will have on the world of sports.