Supreme Court Overturns WNBA

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court overturned the Women’s National Basketball Association on Friday, declaring the right for women to play professional basketball is no longer federally protected by the constitution. From now on, the legality of the WNBA will be left up to the states to decide.

Justice Clarence Thomas said that the original ruling “must be overruled” because “the constitution does not confer the right for women to dribble, pass, shoot, alley-oop, or posterize anyone in a professional sports setting.” The original ruling made in 1973 declared that the game played between coach Debora Roe and Loraine Wade was constitutional.

Recently the topic has been heavily debated on all-male hosted sports panel television shows and podcasts. Which led to over 40 states calling for a final decision to be made about the constitutionality of women playing a game.

While some oppose the decision, basketball traditionalists around the world see it as a huge victory, echoing Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s sentiment that “the only influence women should have on basketball is birthing the male players that play it.” Meanwhile, opponents of the decision fear the ruling might see women crossing state lines to join professional teams or — worse — engaging in dangerous back-alley pick-up games in their home state.

Former WNBA star and women’s rights activist, Sue Bird, expressed her dismay on social media platforms, stating, “all of us know at least one woman who has played in the WNBA and today the US turned their back on them”.

Analysts suggest this decision hints that the Supreme Court may next look to vote on the legality of young women becoming mathletes.