How the WNBA became a political prop in the culture wars

Sports journalist Sabreena Merchant says culture war issues related to race and trans athletes threaten to overshadow exceptional play on the WNBA court.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2697x1798+0+0/resize/2697x1798!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F47%2F09%2F3edd51454399a2a8a75473095b41%2Fgettyimages-2292746017.jpg' alt='Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, right, drives to the basket against Sydney Taylor of the Chicago Sky on Aug. 23.'/><p>Sports journalist Sabreena Merchant says culture war issues related to race and trans athletes threaten to overshadow exceptional play on the WNBA court.</p><p>(Image credit: Michael Reaves)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5957546' />