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Former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas: Trans women do not threaten women’s sports

(Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas is speaking out about her participation in women’s swimming.

The former Penn swimmer sat down with ABC News and ESPN in her first major interview since the NCAA swim season ended back in early March. During the NCAA swimming and diving championships in Atlanta, Thomas declined all interview requests, but she made waves in and out of the pool as the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title.

Since then, transgender participation in sport has remained a hotly contested issue across the country.

In March, Idaho became the first state to pass a law that restricts transgender students’ access to sports. While governor Spencer Cox attempted to veto the bill, the veto was overridden by the state’s lawmakers. As of May 24, 18 U.S. states have either laws or an executive order that limits the participation of transgender athletes in sport, according to the New York Times.

The legislators often have cited the need to protect women’s sports as a reason for the bans.

“Trans women competing in women’s sports does not threaten women’s sports as a whole,” Thomas told ESPN, adding that she doesn’t buy legislators’ reasoning. “Trans women are a very small minority of all athletes. The NCAA rules regarding trans women competing in women’s sports have been around for 10-plus years. And we haven’t seen any massive wave of trans women dominating.”

After graduating from Penn earlier this month, Thomas will attend law school in the fall, where she plans to focus on civil rights and public interest law.

“Having seen such hateful attacks on trans rights through legislation, fighting for trans rights and trans equality is something that I’ve become much more passionate about and want to pursue,” she said.

Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania for four seasons.

She spent her first three seasons competing with the men’s team. She began hormone therapy in 2019 after her sophomore year while still competing for the men’s team, and then, after the Ivy League canceled the 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she competed this past season on the women’s team.

By the time she began her senior season, she had undergone 30 months of hormone therapy.

In January, the NCAA announced that its transgender athlete policy would rely on the policies of individual sports’ national governing bodies. Then in February, USA Swimming updated its policy, requiring 36 months of hormone therapy and evaluation of eligibility by a three-person panel.

For this year’s swimming and diving championships, the new policy was not adopted by the NCAA. Instead, compliance fell under the previous policy and testosterone levels that were below 10 nanomoles per liter. Under that policy, Thomas was ruled eligible to compete.

At the championships in March, Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle. She later placed fifth and eighth, respectively, in the 200- and 100-yard freestyle events.

Some athletes have spoken out in support of Thomas, with Texas freshman Erica Sullivan writing that equal rights for transgender athletes “should not be denied.” Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who tied Thomas in the 200, spoke out against her participation.

“What are we trying to protect?” Gaines said in an interview with ABC’s “Nightline.” “If our priorities are fairness, which it should be in sports, why are we completely neglecting that for one person or a small group of people?”

Olympic gold medalist and Australian swimmer Emma McKeon said in April that transgender participation in sport is something that governing bodies are going to have to “think about how to handle it and how to deal with it.”

“Because you do want to be inclusive, but you don’t want to have females racing against swimmers who are biologically male because it’s just not fair,” she added.

Thomas, though, pushed back against those that make the argument that opening up participation could lead to the transitioning of athletes to gain an unfair advantage.

“The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned,” Thomas said. “People will say, ‘Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win.’

“I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself.”

Inaugural World Sevens Football Tournament Takes the Pitch in Portugal

Ajax's Lily Yohannes dribbles away from Bayern Munich's Pernille Harder during the inaugural W7F tournament.
USWNT star Lily Yohannes and Ajax fell to Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s W7F tournament opener. (Gualter Fatia/World Sevens Football via Getty Images)

The first-ever World Sevens Football (W7F) tournament kicked off in Portugal on Wednesday, as eight European powerhouses compete for the 7v7 soccer venture's inaugural trophy — and a share of its $5 million prize pool.

After winning their first matches on Wednesday, French side Paris Saint-Germain, reigning Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich, and WSL clubs Manchester City and Manchester United all tacked on second group-stage wins early Thursday.

Those two-match leads guarantee each club a spot in Friday's knockout rounds — and a shot at the $2.5 million grand prize — regardless of the outcome of their third and final group play games on Thursday.

Notably, Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes and Man United keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce both feature in this week's tournament, adding extra time with their club teams before they report to USWNT camp next week.

For Yohannes's Netherlands team, the W7F road will end in group play, with fellow two-loss clubs AS Roma (Italy), FC Rosengård (Sweden), and Benfica (Portugal) facing the same fate.

With another competition in the works for North America this fall, this week’s tournament is setting the bar for what players, teams, and fans can expect from W7F moving forward.

How to watch the inaugural W7F tournament

After the group stage wraps on Thursday, the first-ever W7F semifinal slate will begin at 10 AM ET on Friday, followed by the championship match at 3 PM ET.

All W7F matches will stream live on DAZN.

Atlanta Dream Debuts “Pay Some Respect to Women’s Sports” Campaign

The new Atlanta Dream court reads "Pay Some Respect to Women's Sports"
The Dream partnered with Cash App and Playa Society to launch the "Pay Some Respect to Women's Sports" campaign. (Atlanta Dream)

The Atlanta Dream is showing respect, teaming up with Cash App and streetwear brand Playa Society to launch the "Pay Some Respect to Women's Sports" campaign — starting with a new center-court design.

To kick off their latest bold move, the WNBA franchise unveiled their new look this week, showcasing the campaign's title slogan across the State Farm Arena floor.

The "statement court" will be on full display during the Dream's 2025 home-opener against the Indiana Fever on Thursday night.

Following the game, the boldly designed black, white, and green court will relocate to an area youth nonprofit, donated in an effort to inspire young girls "to chase their dreams like their favorite WNBA team."

The campaign also extends beyond the hardwood, with the team collaborating with Playa Society on a "Pay Some Respect to Women's Sports" retail line.

"This unprecedented court design and retail collection is just the beginning," said Atlanta Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker in a Wednesday press release. "Paying respect to women's sports is at the heart of this partnership and our goal is to set a new standard for how brands and teams collaborate to elevate girls and women who are earning that respect every day."

NCAA Stars Rep Team USA at 2025 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series

UConn star Sarah Strong takes a shot during a 2025 NCAA Sweet 16 game.
NCAA basketball Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong will rep Team USA this weekend. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

USA Basketball is heading to France, with NCAA stars Sarah Strong (UConn), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), and Sahara Williams (Oklahoma) — plus 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Cierra Burdick — packing their bags for this weekend's 2025 FIBA 3×3 Women's Series.

Two-time FIBA 3×3 World Cup champ Burdick anchors the squad, with the 31-year-old returning to international competition just five months after undergoing hip surgery.

The college standouts also have key 3×3 experience, with all three earning gold for the U18 team at the 2022 and 2023 World Cups. 

Reigning NCAA champion and Freshman of the Year Strong also took the 2024 World Cup title, while 2021 World Cup winner Mikaylah Williams owns two USA Basketball 3×3 Female Athlete of the Year awards.

This weekend's event will kick off Team USA's run in this year's 3×3 Series, a five-month, 16-stop global tour with more than $1 million in prize money on the line.

The 14-team Marseille competition begins with a three-team qualifying round followed by pool play on Friday, with Saturday's knockouts determining the champion.

How to watch Team USA in the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Women's Series

The US opens their 3×3 campaign against Ireland at 7:15 AM ET on Friday, with continuing live coverage on the All Women's Sports Network and YouTube

2026 Expansion Team Boston Legacy Brings the NWSL to Gillette Stadium

A view outside Foxborough's Gillette Stadium, home to the NFL's New England Patriots.
Incoming NWSL team Boston Legacy FC will debut inside Gillette Stadium, home to the NFL's New England Patriots. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Boston Legacy FC will make their NWSL debut inside Foxborough's Gillette Stadium, the 2026 expansion club told reporters on Wednesday.

After significant delays impacted the proposed redevelopment of White Stadium, located in Boston's Franklin Park neighborhood, the team will call the NFL venue home for its full inaugural campaign.

With room for 20,000 soccer fans — when not used by up to 64,628 fans for NFL games — suburban Gillette's primary tenants are the New England Patriots.

The stadium is also the current home of pro lacrosse team Boston Cannons and MLS side New England Revolution — as well as the Revolution's third-division counterpart.

With White Stadium originally slated to reopen in March 2026, the Boston Legacy ownership group hit several snags in their plan to renovate the 76-year-old venue.

Following a controversial partnership with the city's public schools, an ongoing lawsuit from an area conservancy organization and community pushback are still causing significant construction delays.

Even so, the NWSL team remains committed to seeing the project through, telling The Athletic that "Boston Legacy FC will play its inaugural season at Gillette Stadium before the club moves into its permanent home at White Stadium in 2027."

"After nearly two years of community process, including more than 70 public meetings, a landmark lease agreement, and a clear victory at trial, White Stadium construction is well underway," the club's statement continued. "But construction will not be finished by March of 2026."

Calling the White Stadium conversion a "profit-driven rush," a local resident told the publication "This news comes as a relief for the communities around Franklin Park."

While sharing Gillette's turf-covered field with several different pro teams isn't an ideal situation, it does allow the NWSL's 15th addition to start off on what appears to be more stable footing — at least for now.

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