WNBA superstar Sophie Cunningham has admitted she ‘talked s***’ to the Portland fans after being brutally booed on court in the wake of her stance on trans athletes in women’s sports.
Cunningham has been at the center of a bitter trans debate over the past week, after comments she made to ESPN that young girls ‘shouldn’t have to go against biological men’ when playing sports.
While the Indiana Fever guard has been supported by protestors outside various WNBA arenas over the past few days, the tide turned in Portland on Friday night when the 29-year-old was vociferously booed by the partisan home crowd.
On court, it appeared that she had called the fans ‘losers’ with a hand signal after scoring a three-pointer, but Cunningham has since taken to social media to reveal what really happened.
Alongside a video of the moment, she noted: ‘I didn’t call them losers but I did talk s***.’
In a follow-up post, she then appeared to further stoke the flames by posting a video of herself with a finger to her lips, as if trying to quiet those booing her.
Sophie Cunningham stoked the flames some more by appearing to shush the Portland fans
Cunningham has been at the center of a war of words after her comments on trans athletes
In another post, she shared a clip of the moment she handed a young fan her game-worn shoes as a thank you for supporting her.
It has been quite a week for Cunningham, who has been at the heart of the news cycle, and has sparked strong protests on both sides of the trans argument.
Prior to tip-off on Friday night, Cunningham addressed the controversy by insisting that she has not been a distraction for the Fever.
‘I think at the end of the day, I come in and I do my job,’ Cunningham said. ‘I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I’m full of love. I’m bubbly. I love the people around me. I love basketball.
‘I love inspiring the next generation and doing that in a positive light. And so that doesn’t even cross my mind. Doesn’t cross my teammates’ minds.
‘And again, I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not gonna like shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don´t agree with that.’
Rally organizer Amy Sousa (L), speaks in support of Cunningham before the game in Portland
Supporters rally behind Cunningham after her comments on transgender athletes
A woman and a man dressed in a frog costume hold signs supporting trans people
Fever coach Stephanie White was also asked for her opinion on the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports and responded by pushing for inclusion.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint, but I don’t ever believe that exclusion is an answer,’ White told reporters prior to tip-off. ‘I just don’t.
‘I do think, when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport and things that go into that, as I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up that I played with the boys all the time. There weren’t girls sports back then.’
While White answered questions on the subject inside Moda Center, Cunningham loyalists were outside the arena demonstrating in support of the woman at the center of the WNBA’s latest controversy.
Cunningham greets Caitlin Clark as she returns to the bench on Friday night in Portland
Two young women, left, accused Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton of calling them ‘f***ing insane’ and berating them over their support for Cunningham in a courtside meltdown
Judging by videos posted on a ‘Women Are Real’ X page, Friday’s protest did not appear to draw a large crowd outside Moda Center. Several individuals held signs thanking Cunningham for voicing her opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports. Meanwhile, one man was seen making an ‘X’ with his arms.
Cunningham does not have any ties to the group, as she explained to reporters during a pre-game press conference. She does, however, support their message.
‘I have honestly had nothing to do with them,’ Cunningham said. ‘I think it’s people just practicing their rights of freedom of speech and doing what other fans have been doing since the WNBA has started. And so props to them, props to everyone who is able to be competent and be bold and courageous enough to speak their truths.’
Just days earlier, the same organizers made national news in Seattle when the owner of the WNBA’s Storm told two young Cunningham supporters they were ‘f***ing insane’ for demonstrating courtside. As a result, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton has been banned from her team’s next five home games by the WNBA.
