Overview
- Ponder wrote on X on October 19 that her middle-school daughter guarded an 'obviously naturally born boy' in a girls tournament and that the boy was 'physical and dominant' as her daughter's team lost.
- She said her family teaches kindness toward the child and faulted parents, adding that watching her daughter get 'posted up by a boy' was 'maddening.'
- Responding to skeptics online, Ponder said she did not need others to believe her, claimed she has 'lost millions' for her stance, and stated ESPN would not have let her post such comments while employed.
- Ponder was let go by ESPN in August 2024 in what The Athletic described as a cost-cutting move, and she has previously linked the timing to her public opposition to trans inclusion in sports.
- Coverage ranged from straightforward reporting of her posts to partisan framing, including an OutKick piece casting the episode as evidence of permissive policies in Democratic-run jurisdictions.