The debate around Sophie Cunningham’s comments on trans athletes in women’s sports and its fallout continues to grip the WNBA community. From players and coaches responding to Cunningham through messages printed on their shirts to fans organizing rallies, everyone has strong opinions. So it didn’t come as a surprise when a veteran reporter like Michele Tafoya, who has worked for ABC, NBC, CBS, and ESPN, had a strong opinion of her own.
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“It (the WNBA) was a celebration of women, and excellence among women, and we were excited and proud, and it was celebratory. After all, it is the ‘W’ NBA. So now they just seem to be… Some people have said the W stands for woke,” Tafoya told NEWSMAX about the early days when she was a broadcaster for the WNBA.
“I’m just astonished. It has this opportunity to absolutely catapult the women’s game to another level with people like Caitlin Clark, and they’re just punishing Sophie for having a spine that nobody else has, and that’s why she’s my hero.”
Tafoya’s comments come in light of the league’s silence despite Cunningham getting booed in every game she’s played since the All-Star Game on July 25, or the online criticism. However, Tafoya isn’t the only one who agrees with Sophie Cunningham. Even outside the WNBA, Aryna Sabalenka, the current world No. 1 in women’s tennis, said something similar when asked about the WTA’s (the governing body of Women’s tennis) decision to make gender tests mandatory.
The directive requires players to undergo a one-time genetic screening for the SRY gene on the Y chromosome. Speaking to reporters regarding the test, Sabalenka echoed Cunningham’s words.
“I support this decision. I think it keeps the sport fair only to women. I’m ok with being tested. It’s fair that everyone is tested… Biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would not really be fair for women to compete against biological men,” Sabalenka told reporters during a press conference at the ongoing Canadian Open.
In her now-controversial interview with ESPN’s Hallie Grossman, Cunningham had also said something similar.
“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.”
Meanwhile, many in the WNBA have also expressed their take on the issue, disagreeing with the Indiana Fever Guard. The most recent and one of the most significant voices related to the league is Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
Reeve wore a “Trans Kids belong” shirt to the game when the Fever faced the Lynx in a road game on August 1.
“There are some things that we have in common, and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it’s how you handle things. It was nice to be in person, for sure,” Reeve said about her conversation on the subject just ahead of Sunday’s game with Cunningham.
Sophie Cunningham Has Remained Firm on Her Stance Despite the Backlash
The backlash from the WNBA community followed shortly after her interview with Grossman went live on July 21. Analysts, fellow players, coaches and fans expressed their disagreement, but as Tafoya said, the Fever guard stood by her words.
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense, and I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand by what I said,” Cunningham told reporters just ahead of the All-Star Break last month.
As the backlash kept building, she took to social media to once again reiterate that not everyone had to agree with her views on the issue.
“I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind,” she posted in an X post on July 29.
However, a section of the fanbase has also supported Sophie Cunningham just like Michele Tafoya. Just like fans who have booed Cunningham during games, those who support her have also organized three back-to-back rallies in support of the WNBA guard.