After transgender swoon Lia Thomas was nominated for the prestigious award, a University of Kentucky swoon who’s one of the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year appointees joined tennis legend Martina Navratilova and others in speaking out.
Thomas, 22, is one of two scholars from UPenn who have been nominated for the Woman of the Time Award from the National College Athletics Association.
“This is yet another slap in the face to women. First a female national title and now nominated for the pinnacle award in collegiate athletics. The NCAA has made this award worthless,” Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines tweeted in response.
NCAA Woman Of The Year Nominee Riley Gaines SLAMS Decision To Nominate Transgender Lia Thomas For WOTY
Gaines and Thomas famously tied for fifth place in the women’s 200-meter NCAA championships in March, but since there was only one trophy, the event’s organizers informed Gaines that Thomas would receive it while hers would be mailed later. Gaines wasn’t the only athlete who expressed her outrage on Twitter.
The player with the most major titles in women’s tennis during the Open Era, Martina Navratilova, also mocked the nomination on Twitter.
“Not enough fabulous biological women athletes, NCAA?!? What is wrong with you?!!!!!!!?” she tweeted.
As long as one of the athletes is an international student or a person of color, and both must be graduating, each school is permitted two nominations. In San Antonio, Texas, during an NCAA event in January 2023, the winner will be declared.
Thomas, 22, gained notoriety at the start of the swimming season after college swimming fans and parents recoiled at the thought of a transgender woman participating in women’s sports. Lasr month, FINA – swimming’s governing body – banned transgender athletes from elite events.
What do you think? Should Lia be nominated for Woman of the Year or is it unfair to the rest of the biological women? Let us know in the comments below.
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