Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has gained a lot of supporters over the past week due to her stance on transgender athletes competing in women's sports.
During an extensive interview with ESPN, Cunningham discussed her political beliefs as well as her thoughts on transgender inclusion in women's sports. She made it known that she wants to "protect" young girls from having to compete against biological males.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham told ESPN. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. 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.”
These remarks gained so much traction online that "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling responded to them on social media.
Rowling, who has expressed concerns about transgender activism, voiced her support for Cunningham.
"Caution didn't win women the vote, or equal pay, or fair sport, or the right to single-sex spaces," Rowling wrote. "Sophie Cunningham is standing up for women and girls everywhere and it's glorious. [Expletive] caution."
© Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.
This has been a hot topic in the WNBA community.
Prior to Tuesday night's game against the Fever, Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson showed up to the arena in a shirt that said "trans rights are human rights." There's no question Dolson was responding to Cunningham's ESPN feature.
On the flip side, a few dozen fans voiced their support for Cunningham outside of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. However, the Fever denied any involvement in Tuesday’s rally.
“Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers,” a Fever public relations representative said. “Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united in that mission.”
It could be a while before this conversation dies down in WNBA circles.
