The controversy surrounding Sophie Cunningham’s stance on trans athletes in women’s sports continues to divide the WNBA community. With women’s sports icons like Megan Rapinoe also discussing the topic, the latest voice to enter the conversation is former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.
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In a conversation with Fox News Digital, the Hall of Fame NFL star revealed that he didn’t quite understand why Cunningham was getting so much backlash. He also had nothing but praise for Cunningham’s willingness to hold her position on the issue, despite the backlash.
“So she just says what’s true. She says common sense. And she gets so much backlash. She’s like, men should not be playing in women’s sports. Why is that? I don’t get it. I don’t understand it. It’s a simple statement. She stood by it. That’s what I love about when people say things, don’t back down,” Urlacher told Fox News.
“If you say something, stand by it. And she said it. She backed it up. She’s not backing down no matter how much heat she gets from certain people. It’s an 80-20 issue. 80% of the country thinks it’s true. 20% don’t.”
This entire conversation began with an ESPN profile published ahead of the WNBA All-Star break. Sophie Cunningham stated in that profile that young girls in sport should be protected.
“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,” Cunningham told
Hallie Grossman.
Since those comments, Sophie Cunningham has been caught squarely in the middle of a controversy that continues to grow in every direction. That divide has shown up most visibly in the last three games the Fever have played.
During the Seattle Storm game, rallies in support of Cunningham took place outside the arena. And it was met by counter-rallies from those on the opposing side of the debate. The same pattern repeated itself in Portland, and again in Minneapolis ahead of the most recent game against the Lynx. And in each of those arenas, Cunningham has also been subjected to sustained and heavy booing from fans in the crowd.
Notably, her own head coach Stephanie White has maintained a publicly different position on the issue, stating that she does not believe exclusion is ever the answer, while also expressing frustration that the controversy continues to overshadow the team’s play on the court.
In Sunday’s Lynx game, Cunningham managed just three points in 23 minutes, a far cry from the form she showed in their last three games before facing the Lynx. For now, it seems that the debate around this issue will continue to follow the Fever and their guard.