Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier weighed in on a controversial WNBA incident over the weekend, joking that players could face assault charges after a hard foul against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during a game against the Chicago Sky.
The comments came after Cunningham was knocked to the floor by Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington during Saturday's contest. Carrington was ejected following the play and later suggested on social media that race played a role in the officials' decision to remove her from the game.
Uthmeier responded to video of the play on social media by joking that such conduct would not be tolerated if it occurred in Florida.
“The WNBA knows better than to play games down here in Florida, because I’ll be charging people with assault,” the Republican attorney general wrote.
He later followed up with another post clarifying his remarks.
“I should probably clarify … assault and battery,” Uthmeier wrote.
The incident unfolded as Cunningham has found herself at the center of public attention in recent weeks over comments in which she pushed back against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
The controversy surrounding Cunningham has become part of a broader national debate over eligibility policies in women’s athletics, with conservatives increasingly criticizing sports organizations over the issue.
The WNBA announced over the weekend that it would review its eligibility policies in response to the ongoing discussion surrounding transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Uthmeier also addressed that issue in a separate social media post, criticizing the league's approach.
“The WNBA continues to view the question of ‘what is a woman?’ as something that is ‘complex and nuanced’ instead of recognizing the simple truth. That’s the problem,” Uthmeier wrote.
He continued by asking, “What’s next, men assaulting women on the WNBA courts?”
The attorney general's comments tied together the physical play involving Cunningham and the broader debate over the league's eligibility standards, an issue that has drawn increasing attention in recent weeks.
Despite Uthmeier's remarks about games being played in Florida, the WNBA currently does not have any franchises based in the state.
The league has nevertheless faced mounting criticism from conservative voices over its policies governing player eligibility.
The discussion expanded further after former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom inserted himself into the debate with a social media post announcing that he had declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
His post appeared to mock the controversy over eligibility standards.
Freedom wrote that “if simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”
The comments added another layer to the growing public discussion surrounding the league's policies as officials prepare to review them.
Meanwhile, the hard foul against Cunningham, Carrington's subsequent ejection, and the social media reactions from both players and public officials have continued to generate attention beyond the basketball court.
The league's decision to examine its eligibility rules comes amid that wider debate, while public figures including Uthmeier and Freedom have used the incident to weigh in on questions surrounding women's sports and the standards governing participation.
