Sophie Cunningham’s comments from July 21 regarding the sensitive issue of trans athletes in women’s sports have seen the Fever respond tactfully. The WNBA franchise put forward a statement saying that views shared by its players are their own and independent from the team.

“Our players are thoughtful adults with their own perspectives and voices, and those views are their own,” the Fever said in a statement they released following Cunningham’s comments, as per The Athletic’s James Boyd.

“We are committed to welcoming fans from every background and treating everyone with respect, and that’s what guides us as an organization.”

This stemmed from Cunningham’s comments in an ESPN interview with Hallie Grossman, where the 29-year-old guard made her stance quite clear. 

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. 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.”

The interview did not fade away, as Cunningham faced questions about the same ahead of Indiana’s game against the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

“I mean, I think I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense. And I think I’ll always believe in that…When it comes just to protecting young girls in sport and women in sport, I feel very strongly about that. I think that’s why you have Title IX,” she told reporters.

“That’s why you have some of the greats in women’s sports. If Title IX and women’s sports weren’t protected, then you wouldn’t hear about any type of women in sport. And so I think in the future, it’s just really important to protect.”

In response to a follow-up question, the Fever guard also made it clear that she doesn’t want her words to be interpreted as hostility towards the transgender community. 

“I don’t dislike anyone. I think there’s absolutely room for everyone, and I think there is room to love everyone. I truly think when you get people in the same room and have conversations, you actually have a lot in common with other people. So I’m there to love, but I’m also there to love biological women. There are rights to be protected, and I will stand true to that. I’ll never falter in my beliefs, but I have never once said that I hated the trans community.”

Cunningham is also no stranger to facing pushback for her views on the subject.

Sophie Cunningham believes people love forming assumptions 

This isn’t the first time Cunningham has found herself at the center of this debate. It all started back in March 2022, when she reposted a comment from CBS Sports host Josh Pate during the controversy surrounding Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer competing in women’s collegiate sports.

That repost drew a lot of backlash, and Cunningham released a statement afterward, clarifying that she supports people of all races, religions, orientations, and identities. However, she maintained that competition should remain fair, adding that she hoped “we are able to grant everyone that opportunity fairly.”

“I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume,” she said in the ESPN interview at the origin of the current debate.

In fact, she even faced some backlash for the now-viral pointing gesture on June 22. In the game against the Mercury, there was an incident between Caitlin Clark and DeWanna Bonner that saw Cunningham step in. The Fever player kept pointing at Bonner, who replied, “Don’t you point at me.” This led to Cunningham continuing to point at her opponent, in what has now become a viral meme. 

The snapshot of the gesture has even been used by the White House in one of its social media posts, too. Even UFC star Max Holloway used it after his UFC 329 bout against Conor McGregor. 

For all the attention on her comments, it was Cunningham’s team that made headlines on the court too. The Fever’s 123-88 win over the Sun saw them set franchise records for points in a half (70) and points in a game (123). Cunningham herself wasn’t left out of the box score, either, finishing with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.