Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve hold contrasting views on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Yet, that difference of opinion has not prevented the two from engaging with mutual respect, and that’s what reporters saw during a pre-game conversation between the two.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Ahead of their Sunday faceoff, cameras captured the two sharing what appeared to be an amicable conversation. When beat reporter Andrew Dukowitz asked Reeve what the conversation was about after the game, she revealed what they talked about.
“I think it’s great. I think both of us understand that we have platforms, and we both talked about more than anything wanting to educate, and there’s some things we have in common and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it’s how you handle things, and so it was nice to be in person for sure,” the Minnesota Lynx head coach told Dukowitz.
During the game, Reeve wore a light blue “Trans Kids Belong” T-shirt expressing her stance on inclusion. Her wardrobe choice earned the approval of ESPN broadcasters who expressed their thoughts on air.
“Well, we see Cheryl Reeve wearing a shirt today in support of trans kids… in the aftermath of Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments. We actually saw Cheryl and Sophie speaking at center court pregame, and yesterday Cheryl Reeve spent a lot of time talking at length with the media about this topic. I would encourage anyone to go and listen to Cheryl Reeve’s comments. Incredibly thoughtful.”
The broadcasters referred to White’s interview with reporters ahead of the game where she said she didn’t agree with how the discussion was being framed. In fact, Reeve revealed that she had urged the WNBA to clarify their stance on the broader issues years ago.
“I’ve encouraged the WNBA leadership years ago. ‘What’s our stance? Are we gonna be ready?’ It would make sense for our league to be leaders in this,” the Lynx HC told reporters.
Much like the previous two games, demonstrators gathered outside Target Center before tip-off. Pro-Cunningham supporters carried “Thank You Sophie” signs, while those who disagreed staged a counter-rally.
Fans inside the arena also had a clear division. Much like the previous games against Seattle and Portland, a section of the fans booed when Cunningham got involved in the play.
However, unlike the previous games where the Fever guard responded to the crowd by scoring threes and helping her team win, the league leaders snapped the momentum they built after winning five consecutive games.
They lost to the Lynx 108-100, and Cunningham scored 3 points on 1-for-8 shooting in 23 minutes. Whether the hostile atmosphere contributed to her subdued performance is impossible to say definitively. But the combination of the boos and the result made for a difficult night.
It is not clear how long the rallies, the counter-demonstrations, and the broader controversy will continue to follow this Fever team on the road. But hopefully, at some point, the conversation finds a way to settle.