The 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champion, Sophie Cunningham, has become one of the WNBA’s most talked-about players this season, but it isn’t just for her on-court play. From defending Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark to becoming the face of one of the league’s biggest memes, the guard is at the center of many conversations. Now, she’s addressing one of the most polarizing narratives around her public image. The Fever shooting guard has spoken out about the public backlash to her previous comments on trans athletes per a recent ESPN report.
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“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans [people]. 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.”
Cunningham says critics have misread her comments on protecting women’s sports as an anti-trans agenda. Her opinion is that her critics have attached beliefs to her that she has never expressed, and that she has spoken about the topic because she feels qualified to speak about a world she is actively involved in.
Beyond the sports debate, Cunningham has faced personal attacks on her politics. The main image she debunked was her being a “MAGA Barbie.” Cunningham explained that this is a result of projection, particularly because she’s white, blonde, and from Missouri, a red state. However, Cunningham also made it clear, per the July 21 ESPN report, that she doesn’t identify with either of the major political parties.
“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.”
As states and federations tighten rules, Cunningham’s position sits in a contested space. Cunningham’s clarifications follow the widespread national debate on transgender athletes and their ability to compete as they identify. According to ESPN, more than half of all American states have released legislature to prevent trans women and girls from participating in certain sports, with many having been blocked in court after being challenged for being discriminatory.
Even on the international stage, there have been several developments on this front. Importantly, the IOC has adopted stricter eligibility rules for female-category sports ahead of the 2028 Olympics, with several federations allowed to set their own rules, including swimming, cycling, and track and field.
Apart from them, the WTA has also taken its own steps. The federation explained that all players will have to take a SRY gene test to determine their biological sex, a once-in-a-lifetime test that has faced backlash from many corners of the tennis world.
For Cunningham, this incident started back in 2022.
Sophie Cunningham revisits the controversy that first sparked the debate
In March of 2022, Sophie Cunningham reshared a tweet from CBS Sports host Josh Pate. The tweet addressed the controversy surrounding transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the University of Pennsylvania, who was a part of the swimming team.
“Female collegiate athletes deserve so much better than this.”
Afterward, Cunningham released a statement to address the backlash she had faced in the aftermath of reposting the tweet.
“To my teammates, friends, family, supporters and fans, you know that I stand with all people, especially my fellow athletes. I do not judge, but support all races, religions, sexual preferences and gender equity. We all have a place in this world to compete and I hope we are able to grant everyone that opportunity fairly.”
Cunningham has stayed ahead of all the noise. With all the assumptions people make about her now in the background, she is focused on her play on the court. She has played 25 games in the 2026 regular season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists, with the Fever standing sixth in the league as of now, with a 16-10 win-loss record. Despite the backlash about her opinions on trans athletes, Cunningham is keeping off-court issues off the court.