Riley Gaines calls Brittney Griner's remarks on transgender athlete participation 'heartbreaking'

Former NCAA swimmer and IWF spokeswoman Riley Gaines sounds off after an 18-year-old transgender student exposed male genitalia to 14-year-old girls at school and rips Lia Thomas for 'gaslighting' critics. Fox News' Garrett Tenney reports.

Former NCAA star swimmer Riley Gaines took issue with Brittney Griner’s remarks about transgender athletes’ participation in sports.

The Phoenix Mercury star who made her first media appearance ahead of the start of the 2023 WNBA season called it "a crime" to "separate someone for any reason" when asked about state legislation aimed at preventing transgender athletes from competing against those of the gender they identify as.

"Which NBA team would have @brittneygriner since apparently the overwhelming, obvious differences between men and women should simply be overlooked? Heartbreaking to see athletically successful women take this demeaning stance," Gaines tweeted Sunday.

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Brittney Griner of the Mercury speaks to the media on April 27, 2023, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

"And if we're going to talk about crimes, Brittney..."

Griner made her comments on Thursday.

"That ranks high on the list of things I’ll be fighting for and speaking up against," Griner said when asked by an ESPN reporter about advocating for transgender athletes. "Everyone deserves the right to play. Everyone deserves the right to come here, sit in these seats, and feel safe. And not feel like there’s the threat, or they can’t be who they are, or like it’s just all eyes on them.

"I think it’s a crime honestly to separate someone for any reason. So, I definitely will be speaking up against that legislation and