Layshia Clarendon, 1st openly nonbinary WNBA player, retires

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Sparks guard Layshia Clarendon, who was the WNBA’s first openly transgender and nonbinary player as well as an All-Star in 2017, retired Friday after 12 seasons.

Clarendon had not played since Aug. 15, sitting out the final month of the season for what the team said were mental health reasons. The Sparks missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year with an 8-32 record.

“It’s bittersweet to reach this time in my life and career. Coming home to LA and spending my final seasons with the Sparks was deeply meaningful,” said Clarendon, who was born in nearby San Bernardino and played collegiately at California. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever make it back to California to play. And I did, which meant the world to me and my family.”

The 33-year-old guard signed with the Sparks in February 2023 after playing for Indiana, Atlanta, Connecticut, New York and Minnesota. Clarendon averaged eight points, 2.5 rebounds, and three assists while starting 36 of 45 games for Los Angeles.

In May, Clarendon became the second-oldest player to record a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Atlanta Dream.

Last season, Clarendon scored a career-high 30 points against the New York Liberty and reached the career 2,000-point mark.

Clarendon publicly shared that she was nonbinary and transgender after the 2020 season. She advocated for social and racial justice and LGBTQIA+ policies around the league. Clarendon was elected first vice president of the players association in 2016 and she helped negotiate the WNBA’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement that included higher salaries, improved travel accommodations and more support for players with children.

“Lay was a true professional, showing up each day with a desire to help our team compete and improve,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “Simply stated, Lay is a winner. Off the court, Lay is a trailblazer and impacted so many with their bravery to be authentic and unapologetic while consistently fighting for the marginalized.”