"Surgery doesn't make you who you are" — Former WNBA player Layshia Clarendon makes candid revelation about embracing trans identity

Layshia Clarendon opened up about reconciling their trans identity during the 2020 WNBA bubble. The former WNBA All-Star made an appearance on "Good Game with Sarah Spain" on Tuesday and gave an empowering quote in the interview.

In the episode, Clarendon dove into their struggles with gender identity throughout the WNBA bubble in the 2020 season. Clarendon was a vocal and proud leader as the league's first openly nonbinary player.

"But I really struggled with going through the bubble season where I knew," Clarendon said (14:48 mark). "So in the bubble season in 2020 was when I knew I didn't want to have breasts anymore. And I was starting to reconcile with llike, oh, OK, I'm definitely a trans person... I'm gender nonconforming, I'm gender fluid, like just all of those words that like sometimes help us, sometimes make it more confusing."

Clarendon also discussed their advocacy and speaking out as a trans person, delivering an empowering quote in the process.

"It's time to just say it out loud for myself and to just put it out into the ether like, 'Yes, I'm a trans person, let's make it clear.' Even though I still had breast at the time. I was learning you didn't have to, like, surgery doesn't make you who you are."

The 11-year WNBA veteran retired in September.

Layshia Clarendon announces retirement

On Sept. 20, Clarendon announced their retirement from the WNBA after 11 seasons. Clarendon played for the Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks in their 11 years.

Clarendon elected to hang it up at the end of the 2024 WNBA season, finishing their career with the Sparks. In 16 minutes per game, Clarendon averaged 4.3 points and 2.6 assists, making 12 starts on the year.

Clarendon earned a WNBA All-Star nod in 2017, posting 10.7 points, 6.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. They are also one of four players in Sparks history to record a triple-double, with an 11-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist performance on May 15 vs. the Atlanta Dream.