Oklahoma Softball Coach Defends Players Attending Riley Gaines Event

The Oklahoma Sooners softball coach Patty Gasso has spoken up in defense of her team members after some attended an event hosted by Riley Gaines, a prominent advocate for fairness in women’s sports. Gaines, who rose to prominence after tying with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the NCAA Championships in 2022, has since become a key voice in the movement to exclude biological males from women’s sports categories.

Two Sooners pitchers, Audrey Lowry and Sam Landry, were among those present at Gaines’ speech during a Turning Point USA event, according to OU Daily. They weren’t alone—other Sooners athletes also showed up to hear Gaines speak, a move that sparked some conversation on campus.

Coach Gasso kept her comments measured, telling the OU Daily, "The fact that our team is there, it’s their right whether they want to go or not. I support them and whatever they choose."

It’s refreshing to see a coach publicly backing their players, especially on an issue that’s been stirring up so much debate. Makes you wonder how many would dare to do the same.

Other Sooners athletes also weighed in. Peyton McQuillan, a track team member, defended Gaines’ message, emphasizing that it’s about ensuring fair opportunities: "She just wants to make sure everyone has a fair opportunity, and it’s clear that she cares. It’s very easy to relate to it." Similarly, Haley Bergstrom, a rower, pointed out the biological advantages of males over females, saying, "Biologically, men just have an advantage over women, no matter what. So we would just like to keep that simple, but there is no problem against trans people in general." Her comment reflects the nuanced stance many athletes are taking in this debate—biology matters, but that doesn’t mean hostility toward trans individuals.

Unsurprisingly, Gaines’ visit wasn’t without opposition. Pro-trans protests emerged on campus, with critics like librarian Cynthia Teague telling The Oklahoman, "I’m really disturbed by the sort of panic that I've seen developing over the last couple of years—the suggestion that trans people are dangerous, that they’re harming society." She added that trans teens should have the opportunity to participate in sports, pointing out the rarity of trans athletes at elite levels.

The NCAA has tweaked its policies to restrict biological males from competing in women’s sports, but critics still feel there are loopholes allowing exceptions. The debate, it seems, is far from settled.