I think of the legacy of women's pro basketball in more cultural terms than political terms. I believe the WNBA can be and is supported by those across of the political spectrum, save the Neanderthal segment. My guess would be that the majority of fans would describe themselves as feminists, and would be more apt to support gay rights than the average Joe. So the league would probably not lose many fans if it were to position itself, somehow, as a leader in that cultural context. Of course we know that in the WNBA gay and straight people work together all the time. It's hard to think of any more perfect petrie dish to display how well equal treatment will work. Gay or straight, you can't do your job, and you're treated the same. But it takes leadership to edge out in front on a contentious cultural issue, and I think the message from the top is that they just want it to be about basketball. They are afraid of losing potential supporters, and don't see the upside to taking any leadership in this area.