ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has accused Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve of being "irresponsible" this week.
A few days ago, Reeve wore a "Trans kids belong" shirt for the Lynx's prime-time showdown with the Indiana Fever. This was most definitely a response to Sophie Cunningham saying she wanted to "protect young girls" from competing against biological men.
“I come from a space of inclusion,” Reeve told reporters. “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.”
During a recent episode of Smith's self-titled show, he went on a 14-minute rant about Reeve and her stance on transgender inclusion in women's sports.
"She was seen wearing a ‘Trans Kid Belong’ t-shirt. I’m going to repeat that. A ‘Trans Kid Belong’ t-shirt on Sunday during the game following the remarks from Sophie Cunningham," Smith said, via Awful Announcing. "And the thing that shocks me is, like, this is not a conversation about being anti-anything. This is a conversation about being pro-girls. Ladies and gentlemen, at some point in time, there has to be the return of common sense. This is not about preaching hate. Nobody is supporting that. This is not about looking at people who are trans and hating on them or wanting them denied their civil rights and civil liberties."
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He didn't hold back on Cheryl Reeve.
Not only did Smith disagree with Reeve's antics, he said her "irresponsible" stance on transgender inclusion could cause an issue for the WNBA.
"You are Cheryl Reeve. The head coach of the Minnesota Lynx. That is an irresponsible thing to do. You are a coach for a female basketball team. Do you not think that the females are being screwed over if they have to compete against an individual born as a male? What are you talking about?" Smith continued. "You trying to tell me that a college player, for the men’s, should transition to a woman and be allowed to play in the WNBA or on a collegiate level to a women’s college program? What the hell are you talking about! Nobody said you can’t transition from male to female. The issue here is competing against the women! That’s what Sophie Cunningham is talking about."
The Lynx will return to the court this Thursday night. We'll see if Reeve fires back at Smith before tipoff.
