Sophie Cunningham was greeted with a chorus boos in Portland after the Indiana Fever forward ignited controversy among WNBA fans by objecting to transgender athletes in women’s sports.
With a smattering of fans waving small transgender pride flags at Friday’s Fever-Fire game at Moda Center, Cunningham was audibly jeered when she checked into the game during the first half. And those boos occasionally returned whenever she touched the ball throughout the remainder of the game.
But Cunningham gave as good as she got on Friday.
After draining a 3-pointer, the fiery role player turned to the crowd to make an ‘L’ with her hand, apparently referring to her critics as ‘losers.’
Cunningham and the Fever would have the last laugh on Friday as they improved to 19-10 with a 112-98 win over the struggling Fire. Cunningham played very well, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell tied for a team high with 26 points.
Cunningham also finished with a +18 plus-minus rating, which was better than anyone besides Clark on Friday night in Portland.
Fever forward Sophie Cunningham was booed throughout Friday’s game in Portland
Sophie Cunningham is seen making one of her three 3-pointers on Friday night in Portland
Prior to tip-off, 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.’
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
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 is 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 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.
A woman and a man dressed in a frog costume hold signs supporting trans people
Rally organizer Amy Sousa (L), speaks in support of Sophie Cunningham before the game
Supporters rally behind Sophie Cunningham after her comments on transgender athletes
A man wearing XX-XY Athletics gear makes an ‘X’ with his arms outside a WNBA game
Sophie Cunningham fans hold up signs in support of the Indiana Fever forward in Portland
The Daily Mail revealed earlier Friday that two further protests were planned, starting with the Fever-Fire game in Portland.
‘We’re a group of middle aged women and girls with baskets of cookies, balloons, bubbles, and welcome signs,’ read a post from organizer Amy Sousa in defense of the group. ‘We’re literally a cheer squad!’
Sousa is pictured in a subsequent post wearing XX-XY Athletics gear, which is a brand aimed at promoting opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports.
The Daily Mail has sought comment from Fire spokespeople on the protests.
There was also a counter protest before Friday’s game, which included a person dressed in a frog costume holding a sign reading: ‘Trans people just want to live.’
Another counter protestor wore a t-shirt reading: ‘f*** transphobia.’
The controversy ignited last week when ESPN.com published comments from Cunningham in which she expressed sympathy for trans people, but insisted they should be banned from women’s sports.
‘And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,’ Cunningham told ESPN.
On Sunday, Indiana travels to Minnesota to face the Lynx, where another demonstration protesting transgender athletes in women’s sports has been slated ahead of the 1pm EST tip-off.
