Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made a bold statement on Sunday by wearing a ‘Trans Kids Belong’ t-shirt on the sidelines of her team’s clash against Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever.
Reeve’s choice of attire came directly on the heels of the growing controversy surrounding transgender participation in female sports, which was reignited after Cunningham claimed she wanted to ‘protect young girls’ from ‘biological men.’
Speaking to reporters prior to the matchup, Reeve – who also serves as head coach for USA Basketball’s women’s national team – doubled down on her stance regarding inclusion and criticized the broader national debate.
‘I come from a space of inclusion. The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women’s sports.
‘This is what’s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue,’ Reeve explained.
Reeve’s show of support stands in stark contrast to Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, who drew online criticism over the weekend after claiming she was ‘not educated enough from a scientific standpoint’ to take a definitive position.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a ‘Trans Kids Belong’ t-shirt on the sidelines of her team’s clash against Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon
Cunningham has been at the center of a war of words after her comments on trans athletes
The tension on the sidelines carried over to the streets outside Target Center, where demonstrations turned chaotic ahead of tip-off in Minneapolis.
Rallies organized outside the arena brought opposing groups face-to-face as supporters of Sophie Cunningham clashed directly with pro-trans demonstrators.
The situation quickly escalated into a physical altercation when a female Cunningham supporter was captured on video snatching a t-shirt out of the hands of a pro-trans demonstrator.
In response, a group of pro-trans protesters swarmed the woman, wrestling the shirt back from her grasp as shouting erupted between the two sides.
Target Center security guards and arena staff were forced to intervene immediately to separate the opposing factions and restore order before the clash could intensify.
The incident marks the third consecutive road game where the Indiana Fever have been met with demonstrations, following similar protests outside arenas in Seattle and Portland over Cunningham’s stance on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
The controversy comes during a turbulent stretch for the organization off the court, despite the Fever riding a five-game winning streak.
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.
The tension on the sidelines carried over to the streets outside Target Center, where demonstrations turned chaotic ahead of tip-off in Minneapolis
Rallies organized outside the arena brought opposing groups face-to-face as supporters of Sophie Cunningham clashed directly with pro-trans demonstrators
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.
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.
