Layshia Clarendon

Layshia Renee Clarendon (born May 2, 1991) is an American basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Born in San Bernardino, California, they completed their college career at the University of California, Berkeley in 2013.[1] The 2012–2013 season saw them become a leader of the team and receive national recognition for their abilities, culminating in their place as a finalist for the Senior Class Award.[2][3]

Layshia Clarendon
Clarendon in 2019
No. 7 – New York Liberty
PositionShooting guard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1991-05-02) May 2, 1991
San Bernardino, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight158 lb (72 kg)
Career information
High schoolCajon (San Bernardino, California)
CollegeCalifornia (2009–2013)
WNBA draft2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Indiana Fever
Playing career2013–present
Career history
2013–2015Indiana Fever
2016–2018Atlanta Dream
2018–2019Connecticut Sun
2020–presentNew York Liberty
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
World Cup
2018 Spain
U19 World Championship
2009 U19 Bangkok

According to their coach Lindsay Gottlieb, "[They are] vocal in terms of helping us achieve those goals and being a leader off the court and talking to [their] teammates, but you're never necessarily going to notice that on the court."[4]

For the 2012–2013 regular season, the Clarendon-led Bears lived up to expectations, compiling a 28–2 record (excluding the Pac-12 Tournament) and earning a 2nd seed in the NCAA tournament.[5] Clarendon and the Bears have also enjoyed post season success, resulting in the team's first Final Four appearance.[6][7] The Bears lost in the national semifinals to Louisville.[8]

Layshia Clarendon is the first WNBA player that openly identifies as transgender and non-binary and has become the first WNBA athlete to complete a top surgery while still being an active player.[9]

Clarendon identifies as “black, gay, female, non-cisgender and Christian”.[10]

College statistics

Source[11]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2009–10 California 37 – 36.2 26.2 78.7 4.5 2.3 0.8 0.1 8.9
2010–11 California 34 450 40.0 33.7 69.6 5.4 3.5 1.5 0.1 13.2
2011–12 California 35 449 41.3 32.7 69.8 3.9 2.6 1.5 0.1 12.8
2012–13 California 36 590 45.2 32.5 66.5 4.0 2.8 1.7 0.1 16.4
Career California 142 1489 41.0 31.3 69.7 4.4 2.8 1.4 0.1 10.5

USA Basketball

Clarendon was named to the USA Women's U19 team which represented the US in the 2009 U19 World's Championship, held in Bangkok, Thailand in July and August 2009.[12] Clarendon scored 4.5 points per game, and helped the USA team to an 8–1 record and the gold medal.[13]

Clarendon was selected 9th overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.

In 2018, Clarendon was traded to the Connecticut Sun in July.[14]

Activism

Clarendon is a noted social advocate, speaker and writer, who is often asked to lend their voice and opinions on various social topics. In 2017, they discussed the issues within the WNBA in regards to the inclusion of people in the LGBTQ+ community.[15] They claim that during their early career playing for the Indiana Fever, the team was attempting to include LGBTQ+ individuals by participating in a "Diversity Night" during Pride month- which Clarendon felt was purposefully coded, a way to tiptoe around the true purpose of recognizing Pride month.[15] As time went on and Clarendon began playing for other teams, they stated that they saw the league improving and becoming more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. The league even allowed Clarendon to use their WNBA Player's Association Twitter account to send a supportive message to Mili Hernandez, the eight-year-old soccer player banned from a tournament in part because her short haircut made someone think she looked like a boy.[15]

The Commissioner of the WNBA, Cathy Engelbert, has shown her support for Clarendon by saying, “We are so proud that Layshia is part of the WNBA and we know that their voice and continued advocacy will not only support and help honor and uplift many other non-binary and trans people.”[16] The New York Liberty and the WNBA players’ union have also shown their support for the transition. The owner of the New York Liberty team, Joseph Tsai released a statement supporting Clarendon saying that they are “a proud embodiment of our belief that our strength lies in our truth and no one should live constrained by societal boundaries."[17]

In 2020, the WNBA announced the upcoming season to be  “Social Justice Season”. This was introduced and put together by the league and the Players Association to emphasize important social justice issues including race, gun violence, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and more.Clarendon, with the help of other players, and WNBA Director of Player Relations, Jayne Appel-Marinelli, are leading the Social Justice Council tasked with engaging community conversations, advocacy, and education on important topics surrounding social justice. The Social Justice group plans to “educate, amplify and mobilize for action”.[18]

Clarendon has stood out as a figure for transgender and non-binary people and has shifted the path for others that identify as such to be able to play in the WNBA and feel represented in sports. On Twitter Clarendon linked a t-shirt company that sells shirts that promote “ trans people belong in sports” with Layshia being printed on the shirt. With every  purchase of a t-shirt a percentage (not mentioned) would go to GLITS (Gay & Lesbian in a Transgender Society).[19]

The beginning of the 2020 season, with the help of Clarendon, rallied around Breonna Taylor and the “Say her Name” campaign which began in 2014. Black Lives Matter was also a predominant message throughout the season and was visible on the courts during the entire season.[20]

In 2015, Clarendon won Outsports “Female Hero of the Year”, because of her dedication to using her platform in support of LGBTQ+ people in sports.[21] Clarendon advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes in women's sports and the conversations that need to happen in order to create a safe place for them within the sphere of sports. She recognizes how she challenges the structures of gender and Christianity, and told Outsports, that she wishes to “open closet doors for women across sports”.[22]

In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named them among the fifty heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people".[23][24]

In 2021, Clarendon and lawyer Chase Strangio did an Instagram live to speak about anti-trans bills and their effect on trans people in sports.[25]

Personal life

In 2017, Clarendon married Jessica Dolan.[26] Clarendon is non-binary and uses she/her, they/them and he/him pronouns.[27][28] In 2021 Clarendon underwent surgery to remove breast tissue.[29]

Claredon has been vocal about their identity and their views on gender identity and sex in the sports industry. On Claredon’s personal Instagram, they wrote “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."[30]

Layshia Clarendon and Jessica Dolan, announced the birth of “#babyC” on December 25th 2020, and have yet to release the name or gender of the baby.[31]

References
  1. "Layshia Clarendon - Women's Basketball". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  2. Kahrizi, Kamin (February 10, 2013). "Player Spotlight: Layshia Clarendon". The Daily Californian. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  3. Layshia Clarendon. "Layshia Clarendon, California". Senior Class Award. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  4. "Clarendon A Quiet Superstar". Pac-12 Conference. February 29, 2012. Archived from the original on May 28, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  5. "No. 6 Cal Beats Arizona WBB, 91–86". KVOA.com. February 10, 2013. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  6. "Spokane Bound Cal Readies For Sweet 16". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. March 27, 2013. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013.
  7. Almond, Elliott (April 1, 2013). "Cal women's basketball team reaches its first Final Four". The Mercury News. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  8. "Louisville makes title game with second-half rally". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 7, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  9. Kleen, Brendon. "WNBA's Layshia Clarendon Shares Story Of Top Surgery As Team, Union, Commissioner Show Support". Forbes. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  10. "Keeping the Faith | By Layshia Clarendon". The Players' Tribune. August 21, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  11. "Women's Basketball Player stats". NCAA. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  12. "U19 World's Championship for women Thailand". FIBA. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  13. "Eighth FIBA Women's U19 World Championship – 2009". USA Basketball. November 30, 2010. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  14. "Dream Trade Layshia Clarendon, Draft Pick to Sun For Alex Bentley". Women's National Basketball Association. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  15. Gibbs, Lindsay (June 30, 2017). "A gender nonconforming WNBA star is pushing the league forward on LGBTQ inclusion". ThinkProgress. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  16. Kleen, Brendon. "WNBA's Layshia Clarendon Shares Story Of Top Surgery As Team, Union, Commissioner Show Support". Forbes. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  17. Zillgitt, Jeff. "'No one can erase us.' New York Liberty's Layshia Clarendon has successful top surgery". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  18. "WNBA Announces A 2020 Season Dedicated To Social Justice". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  19. "Trans People Belong in Sports". BreakingT. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  20. Valenzuela, Sarah. "Liberty's Layshia Clarendon defined exactly what it meant to be Black and play pro sports in 2020". nydailynews.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  21. Outsports (December 21, 2015). "Female Hero of the Year: Layshia Clarendon". Outsports. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  22. Outsports (December 21, 2015). "Female Hero of the Year: Layshia Clarendon". Outsports. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  23. "Queerty Pride50 2020 Honorees". Queerty. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  24. Bull, Chris (June 18, 2020). "Meet the brave sports heroes of 2020 changing the world for the better". Queerty. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  25. Kim, Michelle. "WNBA's First Openly Trans Player Got Top Surgery. Their Team Gives Full Support". them. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  26. Zeigler, Cyd (November 15, 2017). "Layshia Clarendon married her wife last weekend at their alma mater". Outsports. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  27. Bar-Lavi, Dani (August 18, 2020). "'Being Black and Non-Binary Is My Superpower': Layshia Clarendon on Race, Gender, Social Justice and the WNBA". Sports Are From Venus. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  28. Kim, Michelle (February 1, 2021). "WNBA's First Openly Trans Player Got Top Surgery. Their Team Gives Full Support". them. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  29. "WNBA's Layshia Clarendon has surgery to remove breasts". 8News. January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  30. "Layshia Clarendon on Instagram: "On Jan 13th at 10am I hugged my wife in front of my surgery building, walked in and took a deep breath...The day was finally here. The day…"". Instagram. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  31. Weldon, Shelby (December 25, 2020). "WNBA's Layshia Clarendon and wife Jessica welcome new baby". Outsports. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
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