It has been a little over a month since Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made her stance on transgender athletes in women’s sports clear. Since then, the WNBA has remained deeply divided, with both her supporters and critics continuing to make their voices heard. But the debate is far from over, as NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher has now called out male athletes for staying silent amid the controversy.

“There are differences between men and women. That’s all there is to it. That’s really all need to be said. There’s biological difference between men and women. They should not be playing in women’s sports. That’s all they have to say,” Urlacher said in an appearance on The Sage Steele Show, per an X post by Jason Cohen.

“The media is not going to ask those questions because they don’t want – we know where the media leans right, for the most part. I feel like it leans to the left pretty hard, but they don’t get asked those questions, and they shouldn’t have to get asked. They should just man up and say it, especially if you have daughters. You have girls who are gonna play sports! It would be really hard for me not to stand up and say what I believe in.”

Sophie Cunningham has faced plenty of scrutiny since saying that she wants to protect young girls in sports and locker rooms. While her supporters have backed that stance, her critics have accused her of being exclusionary. Cunningham, however, has stood by what she said, even describing her position as “common sense.” And that willingness to stand her ground is something Urlacher has openly praised.

Speaking with Fox News on July 28, the Hall of Famer said he respected Cunningham for refusing to back down despite the backlash surrounding her comments.

“She stood by it. That’s what I love about when people say things,” Urlacher said. “Don’t back down. 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.”

Cunningham has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind, and while the controversy has seen several former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, raise their voices by declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft, Urlacher wants more male athletes to take a stand and speak up.

Still, the conversation has spiraled far beyond Sophie Cunningham herself. The growing debate has also put WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert under pressure, particularly as rallies, public statements and even questions surrounding the league’s eligibility rules have kept the issue in the spotlight.

So speaking at the American Airlines Center before the Fever faced the Dallas Wings on August 20, Engelbert addressed the broader narrative surrounding the league.

“We’re being the center of political football for people who have never watched the WNBA, never have written about the WNBA or reported on the WNBA.”

With more and more voices now entering the conversation, what began as Sophie Cunningham simply sharing her stance on a topic has now grown into a much larger debate that continues to divide the WNBA and attract attention from beyond the league.