Staley made these comments during a media availability ahead of her team's matchup against Iowa in the NCAA Women's Basketball national championship game.

When asked about her position on transgender athletes participating in sports, Staley responded, "If you're a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play." The coach was resolute in her belief, acknowledging the expected backlash from certain segments of society. "So now the barnstormer people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game, and I'm okay with that. I really am," she stated.

In contrast, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder declined to address the same set of questions during her media availability, stating that her focus was solely on the game at hand. Bluder acknowledged that the topic of transgender athletes is important but deemed it appropriate for discussion at a later time.

The issue of whether transgender athletes should be allowed to participate in sports has gained significant attention in recent years. In April 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill titled the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act," which aimed to prohibit individuals assigned male at birth from competing on girls' and women's teams in federally-funded schools. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), passed on a party-line vote of 219-203.

However, no action has been taken on the bill in the Democrat-led Senate, where it is unlikely to pass. The Biden administration has strongly opposed the bill, stating that politicians should not enforce a one-size-fits-all requirement that forces coaches to remove transgender athletes from their respective teams.

Regarding the participation of transgender athletes, the NCAA adopted a policy in 2010, which was most recently updated in 2022. The policy, now sport-specific, seeks to align transgender student-athlete participation with the Olympic Movement, aiming to ensure fairness, inclusion, and safety for all competitors.

Staley's support for transgender athletes adds to the ongoing conversation surrounding transgender inclusion in sports. As the national championship game approaches, her comments serve as a reminder that the sports community continues to grapple with gender identity and inclusivity.