Meet All 52 Gay WNBA Players of the 2026 Season

Which WNBA players are gay and how many of them are gay? Well, when Autostraddle published our very first list of out gay WNBA players several years back, it held merely 15 names. Last season, that number climbed to 46. Now, it is 2026, and everything else in the world is getting worse except for this one thing we are sitting at 51 with an additional two waived gay players with WNBA experience who may find themselves back on a roster in some capacity as the season progresses. Plus there are at least ten players who I personally am convinced are gay but cannot officially confirm. Also there’s Syd Colson, who is still sitting out on account of her injury, but hopefully will return next year.

The league itself is bigger this year with the addition of the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. A record four out players made it from the WNBA college draft onto WNBA rosters. There has never been a better time to be alive, gay, and very good at basketball. Let’s get into who all’s gay, here, and gonna play basketball.

In addition to an already prolific career in the WNBA, this UCLA alum is also a musician. follow jordin canada on instagram

Sloot. the Sky franchise’s all-time leading scorer, married her then-teammate Allie Quigley in 2018. They welcomed a baby girl to their family last April. Sloot’s season was cut short in 2025 after an ACL injury, but she should be back in action this year. follow courtney vandersloot on instagram

The WNBA’s #1 Baddie Dijonai Carrington spent 2025 on the Wings and the Lynx, before being traded to the Sky ahead of the 2026 season. She is currently allegedly dating the Las Vegas Aces’ Jackie Young. Previously, her relationship with Nalyssa Smith was a consistent hot topic in the WNBA community. follow dijonai carrington on instagram

After many weeks of widespread concern amongst her fans, veteran guard Natasha Cloud signed a $555k deal with the Chicago Sky only days before the start of the 2026 season. She’s dating her former Liberty teammate Izzy Harrison, who she says radically transformed her life at a time when she was in need of refocusing. follow her on instagram

Westbeld, who’s sister also plays in the WNBA and who once dated Olivia Miles, was selected 16th overall by the Sky out of Notre Dame in the 2025 WNBA draft. After being waived by the Sky ahead of the 2026 season, she was brought back on under a developmental contract. follow maddy on instagram

Rivers came into the W in 2025 off some peak performing at South Carolina and NC State and quickly became a fan favorite player — for her personality and for her gay impact on girlfriend Marina Mabrey. follow saniya on instagram

2021 and 2024 WNBA All-Star MVP Arike Ogunbowale got married to influencer Lala Ronay earlier this year. She’s spent her entire WNBA career with the Dallas Wings. follow arike ogunbowale on instagram

James, a rookie drafted to the Dallas Wings in 2025 after playing at NC State, has really been coming into her own on the Wings. Follow aziaha james on instagram.

The people’s princess, Azzi Fudd, came to Dallas as its #1 draft pick after a triumphant career at University of Connecticut. Her girlfriend, Paige Bueckers, went to Dallas as the #1 draft pick in 2025, which is very romantic.

Another young gun on the Wings, Quinerly is a 2025 draft pick from West Virginia. After getting knee surgery in 2025, she’s expected to be back in action for the 2026 season. follow jj on instagram.

Dearly beloved Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings’ #1 pick in the 2025 draft and the GMs’ top choice to build a franchise around, won rookie of the year in 2025 and is dating Azzi Fudd, who she also went to U-Conn with.

Tip started in the WNBA in 2012 with Atlanta, joining Golden State in 2025. She became an Azerbaijani citizen in 2015 and has competed as a member of their national basketball team and in the Olympics. follow tip hayes on insta

The Italian player spent a season with the Minnesota Lynx in 2018 and again in 2024, but was picked up by the Valkyries in the 2025 expansion draft. She has a hot Italian girlfriend, Sara Barbieri. follow cecelia on instagram

Another Huskie, Williams has played throughout Europe and on the French National Team at the Olympics in 2020 and 2024. She’s dating Marine Johannes of the New York Liberty.

Harris was a star player at Heritage Christian High School in Indiana and a 2016 Indiana Miss Baskebtall finalist — signing with the Fever brings her home to friends and family after a WNBA career that took her to Dallas, Phoenix and China. Harris’s girlfriend, Autumn Jones, reliably sports memorable courtside looks and facial expressions. follow tyasha harris on instagram

Gray is a certified legend and considered the best point guard in the WNBA. She sports two Olympic gold medals, four WNBA Championships and one Unrivaled championship. Chelsea and her wife, Tipsea Gray, had a baby in February of 2024. follow chelsea gray on instagram

Young was drafted to the Aces out of Notre Dame in 2019 and made her first WNBA All-Star team in 2022, and has played on two Summer Olympics teams. She’s currently dating Dijonai Carrington. follow jackie on instagram

The Las Vegas Aces picked up one of the league’s top talents after she asked to be traded from the Seattle Storm, where she’d been playing since 2015. follow jewell loyd on instagram

A 2022 No.2 overall draft pick, Smith landed at the Aces in 2025 after half a season in the Wings, and a few years in Indiana before that. She previously dated Dijonai Carrington. follow nalyssa smith on instagram

Bell has been with the Aces since the 2022, when she was drafted 11th overall. follow kierstan bell on instagram

E-Weezy went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2015 and is now a two-time WNBA All-Star. She comes to the Sparks from the Seattle Storm. follow erica wheeler on instagram

Cannon debuted in the WNBA in 2017, and has played internationally and for four different WNBA teams before signing with the Sparks for 2025. She and her wife, Tia Cannon, had their first child in 2022, and welcomed twins, a boy and a girl, to their family in April 2025. follow emma cannon on instagram

Kate, who was drafted to the Aces out of Indiana and was traded to the Valkyries for their first year of the WNBA, was a widespread fan favorite. After being waived by the Valkyries days before the 2026 season began, she got picked up by the Los Angeles Sparks on a developmental contract. follow kate martin on instagram

Courtney Williams is not just one of the WNBA’s top masc hotties (a crowded field!) but also one of the league’s biggest personalities, as evidenced last year by the meteoric rise of Williams and Natisha Hiedeman’s streaming adventure, the Stud Budz. The Lynx signed Williams to a two-year max contract this year worth around $2.4 million. follow courtney williams on instagram

McBride, a beloved multi-time WNBA All-Star and elite three-point shooter, has been playing in the W since 2014 and with the Lynx since 2021. She wrote openly about her mental health journey for The Player’s Tribune in 2020. follow kayla mcbride on instagram

Howard, who’s been in the WNBA since 2014, had her wedding to hair salon entrepreneur Jac’Eil Duckworth Howard featured on the eleventh season of Basketball Wives. follow natasha howard on instagram

The #2 draft pick this year, Miles is a hot gay talent, a versatile guard and the first NCAA tournament freshman (male or female) to record a triple-double. Her new coach Cheryl Reeve describes her as a “connector of people” and she’s settling in well to what’ll be a big season for the Lynx. follow olivia miles on instagram.

Our King, 2024 WNBA Championship MVP Jonquel Jones, has been engaged to her fiancee, nail tech Nesha Keeshone, since 2023. This past fall she hosted the first-ever girls basketball camp back in her home, the Bahamas. follow jonquel jones on instagram

Another one of the WNBA’s top players of all time, Stewart’s wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is a former player for the Phoenix Mercury and the Spanish National Team. They have two children together. follow breanna stewart on Instagram

This German basketball player was initially drafted to the Sparks in 2020, but didn’t actually play in the W until singing a rookie scale contract with the New York Liberty in 2024. Her contract is currently under temporary suspension due to her ongoing overseas commitments with Valencia, but is expected to return to the team later this season. follow her on instagram.

This French basketball player, nicknamed “Wizard,” is dating Gabby Williams. follow her on instagram.

Griffin was drafted 37th out of Connecticut in 2025, but missed her first season at Minnesota after knee surgery. She grew up 45 minutes from the Barclays Center and was thus thrilled to be brought onto the Liberty under a hardship contract to start the 2026 season. Her girlfriend, Jane Ella, was a cheerleader at U-Conn.

Renowned WNBA superstar, “triple-double queen” and multiple record holder Alyssa Thomas signed a 3-year, $3.6 million dollar deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury for 2026. She’s engaged to DeWanna Bonner, her former teammate on the Connecticut Sun and her current teammate on the Phoenix Mercury. follow alyssa thomas on instagram

An Australian basketball player whose previous WNBA experience includes 20 games with the Sky in 2022, Maley was picked up by the Phoenix Mercury after being waived at Liberty training camp. Her fiancé, Marena Whittle, is a professional basketball player in Australia. She’s an advocate for trans inclusion in women’s sports, saying in an interview, “the biggest threat to women’s sport is not trans women, it’s actually men thinking that it’s trans women.” follow anneli maley on instagram.

This 6’4″ forward is a 17-year-old veteran of the league, ranking third in league history for total points and games played. She’s part of the aforementioned extremely high-profile relationship with Alyssa Thomas and, in 2016, married her former WNBA teammate Candice Dupree, with whom she also played on the Phoenix Mercury. Bonner gave birth two twins before the couple separated in 2020, which is also when Bonner was traded to the Connecticut Sun… where she met Alyssa Thomas. I love this game! follow dewanna bonner on instagram

Copper began her career at the Washington Mystics, before serving on the Chicago Sky —spending a few years as a bench player before emerging as the star she was destined to become in 2021, landing her first All-Star team spot before leading her team to their first WNBA title. She came to the Mercury in 2024 and is also a fashion icon and an Olympian. follow kahleah on instagram

Mack was drafted to the Sky in 2021, played in Poland for two years, and then joined the Mercury in 2024. Her girlfriend, Leecy, is a middle school teacher! follow natasha mack on instagram

Whitcomb’s career has been long and international, including eight years in the WNBA. She and her wife, Kate Malpass, have two small kiddos. follow sami whitcomb on instagram

Emily played at Indiana, Minnesota and Washington before getting picked up by the Fire in the 2026 expansion draft. follow emily engstler on instagram

Prior to joining the Fire, the guard spent two seasons with the Washington Mystics, after originally being drafted there in 2020, getting waived in 2021, playing overseas, and then playing with the Mercury in 2023. follow sug sutton on instagram

T-Spoon, our collective little brother, the most adorable WNBA player of all time, Courtney Williams’ beloved twin and one half of the Stud Budz, was traded to the Seattle Storm from the Minnesota Lynx ahead of the 2026 season. We’ll miss the Stud Budz but are happy for the guard to get that bag and level up her game with a two-year Seattle Storm contract. follow T on instagram

Horston’s ACL injury during a February 2025 Athletes Unlimited ruled out her impending season with the Storm, but she’s spent the off-season listening to gospel in the gym and is ready for the “brand-new me” chapter of her career. follow Jordan on instagram.

Stef Dolson, who won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with her 3×3 team, is in a very cute relationship with Kristen Podlovits, who works as an Account Manager for Membership Services for the New York Liberty. follow stef dolson on instagram

#14 overall pick in the 2026 draft Taina Mair signed a developmental contract with the Seattle Storm. She’s in a relationship with Mya Perry, who plays basketball for Cincinnati. follow taina mar on instagram

Sykes’ girlfriend, Morghan Medlock, is a chef with courtside style so good it was featured in Vogue magazine — she often coordinates her outfits to match Sykes’ chosen color palette of the day. follow brittney sykes on instagram

After seven years in the WNBA, Izzy played for the New York Liberty in 2025, where she was teammates with her girlfriend Tash Cloud. “Leaving isn’t easy but I’m having the courage to live for more dreams and goals along with Gods word to me because I know with opportunity, where I can be,” she wrote on Instagram after being traded to the Tempo’s expansion team. “Let’s get it TORONTO!” follow isabelle harrison on instagram

Belgian baller Julie Allemand was picked up by the Indiana Fever in the 2016 draft, but she spent the next three years playing in Europe before returning to the Fever in 2020, but then sat out the subsequent year for her mental health. She joined the Sky for 2022, but opted out in 2023 to focus on the Belgian national team — she was the only out lesbian on their 2024 Olympics squad. In 2024, she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, but was injured shortly thereafter. After actually playing for the Sparks in 2025, she was drafted second overall by thet Tempo in the expansion draft. follow julie allemand on instagram

Mabrey grew up in a basketball family (her sister, Michaela, recently wrapped up a seven-year coaching stint at Notre Dame) and was drafted to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019. She played for the Dallas Wings and the Chicago Sky before landing at the Sun for the 2024 season. Last year, her bond with teammate Saniya Rivers morphed into an actual romance, but I’m not personally sure if they’re still together although I certainly hope so. follow marina on instagram.

This 6’7″ rookie was the #4 draft pick and comes to the WNBA straight of a triumphant NCAA championship. She wrote for The Player’s Tribune this year about her experiences with depression.

Wilson is a star in Sydney’s National Basketball League who signed a training camp contract with the Sky in 2025, got waived, and this year had the chance to make it through to roster with the Washington Mystics. Her girlfriend, Amy Atwell, is a basketball player in Australia for the Perth Lynx.

It’s this Texas Longhorn’s rookie year in the WNBA and she’s been having a lovely time in Washington with her girlfriend, Shaylee Gonzales, an influencer who also played basketball in Texas and now plays in Spain.

After not getting drafted in 2024, Sherrod signed a training camp contract with the New York Liberty — pulling off a standout performance, she bounced around on tiny contracts with the Sky and the Liberty before signing an end-of-season contract with the Liberty in August of 2024. She was traded to the Lynx in August 2025, but waived this season.follow her on instagram.

The Turkish basketball player played her first season with the WNBA in Dallas and her second with the Los Angeles Sparks. follow sevgi on instagram

The New York Liberty topped out at seven gay players in 2025, although those numbers were helped by Jonquel Jones single-handedly confirming a bunch of queer Liberty players on their team who reporters had previously been unable to nail down. I think she’s setting a strong example and everybody should step forward and confirm who is gay or not!

The Phoenix Mercury was the WNBA team with the most gay players in 2024 (six) and despite losing several of them —Brittney Griner to the Dream, Natasha Cloud to the Liberty and Diana Taurasi to retirement —Phoenix managed to recruit new homosexuals to fill their spots, and thus comes in at 2nd place this year with 6.

In 2026, there’s no clear winner — the Wings, Aces, Liberty and Mercury all have five gay players. And all of that could change at any moment, really.

Including developmental players, there are 210 roster spots, which means 25% of the league is gay in 2026 so far. This is actually slightly less than the 28% we had last year, but the league isn’t getting less gay, just bigger. Who knows who might come out tomorrow or where Jaylyn Sherrod might land! Or maybe somebody can confirm definitively for me if Veronica Burton is gay or not! Incredible to consider.

At the For Them Store!