Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has quickly become the most polarizing athlete in the WNBA.
During a recent conversation with ESPN, Cunningham talked about transgender athletes competing in women's sports. The WNBA veteran said she wants to "protect young girls" from competing against biological men.
“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.”
Even though Cunningham has received some support since her comments about transgender athletes were made public, she was booed at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night.
"INDIANA Fever star Sophie Cunningham was met by boos throughout Tuesday’s win over the Seattle Storm," The U.S. Sun reported. "The guard was jeered before the contest and during her first free-throw attempts."
There's a chance Cunningham will be booed on the road for the rest of the season.
© Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.
There was a rally in Seattle.
Prior to Tuesday night's Fever-Storm game, there was a pro-Cunningham rally in Seattle. Fans of Cunningham were voicing their support for Washington initiatives 638 and 011, which would stop transgender students from participating in girls’ sports.
For what it's worth, the Fever have 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.”
