Caitlin Clark has stayed away from the controversy regarding her teammate Sophie Cunningham’s comments about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Cunningham’s views on “protecting young girls” have led to debates and rallies during Fever games, so after Sunday’s game with the Lynx, which saw a third consecutive rally, reporters directly asked Clark about her views.
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Clark refused to back her teammate or take sides and distanced herself from the subject. “I think, for us, it’s not really a discussion we really have in our locker room,” said the Indiana Fever star.
However, former Fox News and NBC veteran Megyn Kelly found Clark’s stance unacceptable.
“Caitlin Clark was directly asked to speak on it, and she was cowardly. She refused to do it. It is one thing to inject politics into your sport where they don’t belong, like Colin Kaepernick kneeling in the middle of professional football games. It’s quite another when little girls are getting the s— kicked out of them in their sport,” she said in her podcast ‘The Megyn Kelly Show‘ on August 3.
“And you are the most famous woman in women’s basketball, and you’re directly asked as the issue rears its head in your sport, and you punt on it. You won’t say anything. You’d rather let the 12-year-olds handle it.”
Yet, that’s not how Caitlin Clark sees it. During that post-game press conference after Indiana’s 108-100 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Aug 2, Clark said that as players, their focus should be on basketball.
“I think it’s for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions, but our focus is on basketball,” Clark told reporters.
Then again, this isn’t uncharacteristic of the 24-year-old Fever star. Even during the controversial Alyssa Thomas flagrant foul incident, she didn’t participate in the debate around protecting players. Instead, the 2024 Rookie of the Year simply condemned the harassment of Thomas faced online.
“As I’ve stood here and said before, the harassment, the hate, none of that is OK. That goes for (the) opposing team we play. That goes for my teammates. That goes for my coaches. There should never be a question of character. ” Caitlin Clark told reporters on Friday, July 3.
The same sentiment was echoed by Fever head coach Stephanie White, who also refrained from taking a firm stance on the issue.
“I wouldn’t say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint, but I don’t ever believe that exclusion is an answer,” White said. “I just don’t. I do think, when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport and things that go into that, as I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up that I played with the boys all the time. There weren’t girls sports back then.”
While Clark and White have continued to steer clear of taking a public position, Cunningham, has continued to clarify the intent behind her remarks. Speaking to ESPN, she said she had “never” claimed to hate the transgender community while reaffirming her position on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she said. “I think that I am here to extend love… I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Sophie Cunningham’s comments have drawn strong reactions from across the WNBA world. Everywhere the Fever have traveled since, they’ve been met by well-organized and highly publicized rallies outside opposing arenas.
It started in Seattle, where the Storm’s co-owner, Celeste Keaton, was suspended and fined by the WNBA after an exchange with two teenage girls wearing shirts depicting XX and XY chromosomes.
By the time the Fever arrived in Portland, the issue had become part of the pregame conversation. Ahead of tip-off, Fire head coach Alex Sarama emphasized the “inclusivity” and “respect” that define the city.
When the Fever reached Minnesota, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve had made her stance visible, wearing a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt during the game. The two had also shared a respectful conversation on the court before the game.
Cunningham has been met with boos from sections of the crowd at each of the Fever’s last three road games. It’s hard to imagine that hearing boos game after game doesn’t have some impact on a player’s rhythm and momentum. Cunningham certainly struggled against the Lynx, scoring just three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 23 minutes.
With the regular season entering its business end, the Fever would much rather have the conversation revolve around basketball than off-court issues. That’s a sentiment reflected in the way both Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White have approached the debate, keeping their focus on the team’s championship ambitions.
The Indiana Fever’s next test comes against the Las Vegas Aces, and there’s every chance the discussion surrounding Cunningham will follow them there as well. However, Clark’s stance on the subject probably won’t change.