Leigh Ross-Dakich, a hall of fame softball coach with over 700 wins at Bowling Green and Syracuse, issued a stark warning on August 3rd, 2026, about the inclusion of biological males in female sports leagues. Appearing on the OutKick show "Don't @ Me" with her husband Dan Dakich, Ross-Dakich criticized figures such as Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, who has defended the idea of biological males taking roster spots from biological females.

"Let's go. One league. Let's see what happens. What's going to happen is that girls are going to get wiped out," Ross-Dakich said, emphasizing the physical differences between men and women as the basis for her concerns. She added, "If you want to do that and make one league, women will be phased out. These women that are fighting for women – women power – are now phasing themselves out of jobs."

Ross-Dakich also questioned whether current players understand the struggles women faced in the 1970s and 1980s to establish their own leagues. She stated, "The players that are here now, I don't know if they understand what women had to go through years ago in the '70s and '80s to get to a point where they actually could play and have their own leagues."

Addressing the participation of transgender athletes, Ross-Dakich said, "You're not saying that trans kids can't play. Whatever is on your birth certificate is where you should be playing. It's common sense."

The debate also involves tennis legend Billie Jean King, who has acknowledged the physical differences between men and women but has advocated for including biological males in female sports. Ross-Dakich, alongside Martina Navratilova, has expressed confusion over King's stance. King famously competed in the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" match at the Houston Astrodome.

This controversy highlights ongoing tensions within female athletics regarding inclusivity and competitive fairness, particularly in leagues like the WNBA.

Sources