Liberty guard Clarendon undergoes top surgery: 'Freedom at last'

New York Liberty guard Layshia Clarendon underwent top surgery - a procedure to remove breast tissue, also known as a subcutaneous mastectomy - on Jan. 13, the eight-year WNBA veteran announced Friday.

"It's hard to put into words the feeling of seeing my chest for the first time free of breasts, seeing my chest the way I've always seen it, and feeling a sense of gender euphoria as opposed to gender ⁣dysphoria. ... Freedom at last," Clarendon wrote on social media.

The 29-year-old Clarendon, whose pronouns are she/her, they/them, and he/him, has publicly identified as non-cisgender - meaning their gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth - since at least 2015. In an Instagram post from December 2020, Clarendon said they were trans but added that they were not "a trans guy."

After Friday's announcement, various league stakeholders voiced their support for Clarendon, who was selected as an All-Star while playing for the Atlanta Dream in 2017.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert called Clarendon's story "one of inspiration and courage," noting that the two had recently shared an "emotional conversation."

Engelbert added that she hoped Clarendon's advocacy would "encourage empathy and understanding for the (non-binary and trans) community across all levels of sports."

The Liberty echoed the commissioner's sentiment, describing Clarendon as a "pioneering athlete."

A number of active players also congratulated Clarendon in response to her announcement, including stars Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner, and Natasha Howard.

Clarendon wrote that they were initially concerned about receiving negative responses but ultimately decided the benefit of increased visibility for the trans and non-binary communities outweighed the potential fallout.

"I'm usually not scared to share news publicly, but the amount of hate, myths, and ignorance surrounding trans and non-binary people's existence actually had me debating sharing this joy," he wrote.

"I want trans people to know and see that we've always existed and no one can erase us! ⁣⁣I want people to remember that my freedom is your freedom because none of us are free until we are all free!"