Gay nba players list
Which WNBA players are gay and how many of them are gay? Successfully, when Autostraddle published our very first list of out gay WNBA players several years advocate , it held merely 15 names. Last season, that number had climbed to 38, although two of the players on last year’s list ended up getting waived from their teams shortly into the season, leaving us with 36. But this year, despite losing a lot of last year’s roster, we continue to win with even more gay players, coming in at 44 so far this year.
Atlanta Hope Gay Players
Brittney Griner
Jordin Canada
In addition to an already prolific seven-year career in the WNBA, Canada is a artist. follow jordin canada on instagram
Chicago Sky Gay Players
Maddy Westbeld
Westbeld is new to the W after being selected 16th overall by the Sky out of Notre Dame in the 2025 WNBA draft. She’s dating website her Notre Dame teammate Olivia Miles.follow her on instagram
Connecticut Sun Gay Players
Saniya Rivers
The 8th annual draft in this year’s class, Rivers comes off some peak acting at South Carolina and NC Declare. Since joining the Sun, her friendship and TikTok streams with Marina Mabrey have
BY: Zaniah Boykin
Published 5 months ago
The street to LGBTQIA+ representation in sports has been a drawn-out and bumpy one, especially in professional basketball. For years, the NBA and other major leagues were slow to embrace openly same-sex attracted players, but things are changing. Today, more athletes are stepping up, living their truth, and making basketball a more inclusive cosmos. The courage of these players is shifting the tradition and inspiring future generations. Let’s seize a look at some of the most notable gay basketball players who have helped conduct this evolution.
1. Jason Collins
In 2013, Collins made history as the first openly gay player in the NBA while playing for the Brooklyn Nets. At a time when few athletes in any sport had come out, Collins’ bravery was a game-changer for LGBTQIA+ visibility in professional sports. His courage paved the way for others, and since retiring, he has continued to advocate for equality. Collins remains among the most significant figures in the LGBTQIA+ rights movement within professional athletics.
2. Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner is one of the most high-profile openly gay basketball players ever. Acknowledged as a dominant force in the W
Welcome to my annual Who’s Gay in the WNBA Report! For those of you who are modern, every year I split down the list of athletes who are openly queer in the league. As a queer person who has played basketball my entire life, the off-court drama is always equally as exciting as the on-court display of skills. Knowing who’s lgbtq+ and who’s dating who only adds to that for me. If you’re more of a pure viewer of the game and prefer only knowing what’s going on while the clock is running, I do regularly generate WNBA TikToks that I like to think are pretty informative!
The league is well known to hold some of the optimal pre-game walk-up outfits in all of professional sports, so you’re missing out if you don’t track at least the @wnba account on Instagram. Here’s a complete list of all out gay players in the league, broken down by team. For my purposes, “Out” means confirmed by the player either in an interview or on their social media. No matter how masculine presenting someone is, I will not be speculating!
Last Updated: 6/27/25
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are a very fine team and as drawn-out as A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray are both there they’ll always hold a shot at
Jason Collins:
That was the last nail in the coffin of, I’m doing this, I’m adding my voice to all the other athletes who are speaking up on behalf of the Gay community. But there were those family members that I had who said, Jason, do you need to come out publicly? Can you just live your life but know that we know we love you, but you don’t necessarily need to talk about it? And I said to them, that’s not who you raised me to be.
Jay Ruderman:
Hi, I’m Jay Ruderman and welcome to All About Change, a podcast showcasing individuals who leverage the hardships that have been thrown at them to better other people’s lives.
Montage:
I say put mental health first because if you don’t…
Montage:
This generation of America has already had enough.
Montage:
I stand before you, not as an expert, but as a concerned citizen.
Jay Ruderman:
Jason Collins spent 13 years playing in the NBA. During his career on the court, he earned a reputation for being a team player who knew when to step out of the spotlight for the good of his team. But that reputation came at a price.
Jason Collins:
I tried to be the great son, tried to be the p