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Layshia Clarendon

Biography

From San Bernardino, California, Clarendon played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley, helping lead the Golden Bears to their first Final Four appearance in 2013. The Indiana Fever selected Clarendon ninth overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft. They played 12 seasons in the WNBA, earned a 2017 All-Star selection, and won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.


In 2020, Clarendon became the first openly trans and nonbinary player in WNBA history. They have publicly identified as gay and nonbinary and have used their platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility, racial justice, and equity in professional sports.


Clarendon served six years as Vice President of the WNBA Players Association and helped negotiate the 2019 collective bargaining agreement. They became a founding leader of the WNBA Social Justice Council in 2020. Following their playing career, Clarendon continued working in basketball broadcasting with ESPN, ACC Network, and the Seattle Storm. They also founded the Layshia Clarendon Foundation, which supports access to gender-affirming care for Black and Latine trans people.


BQW Impact

Clarendon's career has expanded the visibility of Black queer and nonbinary people in professional sports. Their openness about gender identity and sexuality has challenged conventional expectations about who can occupy visible leadership roles in elite athletics.


Their advocacy extends beyond personal visibility. Through WNBPA leadership, the WNBA Social Justice Council, broadcasting, and the Layshia Clarendon Foundation, Clarendon has worked to advance racial justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, player rights, and access to gender-affirming care.


Notable Works
  • WNBPA Leadership

    Served six years as Vice President and helped negotiate the WNBA's 2019 collective bargaining agreement.

  • WNBA Social Justice Council

    Founding leader of the council established in 2020 to advance racial justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, civic engagement, and community advocacy.

  • Layshia Clarendon Foundation

    Foundation supporting access to gender-affirming care for Black and Latine trans people.

  • Basketball Broadcasting

    Current basketball analyst work with ESPN, ACC Network, and the Seattle Storm.

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