ESPN panelist says 'trans kids deserve to play sports' in final appearance before show's cancellation

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"Around the Horn" leaves the airwaves later this month, which means some of the show's panelists are making their final appearances in the coming weeks.

That includes Kate Fagan, who appeared for the last time on the show Thursday. Fagan, a longtime writer and reporter, also played college basketball at Colorado.

Fagan has made appearances on the show since she was first hired by ESPN in 2012. She left the network in 2018 but has continued to appear on the program.

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President Donald Trump signs the "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

Fagan was determined to be the "winner" of Thursday's show against Jemele Hill, who made a return to the show since leaving the network in 2018. The winner of the episode typically delivers a short monologue, and Fagan said "being on this show has been a privilege and a platform."

With Thursday marking her final episode, she used that platform to make a plea for transgender athletes.

"I know it's my last time on it, and I want to say something worthy of that platform, and that's trans kids deserve to play sports," she said. "Think about what you remember from your time playing sports. Ninety-nine percent of it is finding that jersey for the first time, your favorite number, community, joy, those high-fives. 

"It's that moment when you have a great play with a teammate. It's the feeling of belonging. And it does not know gender. Trans kids deserve the same as everyone else does.

"Sports is joy. Sports is humanity. And the more people who