Sophie Cunningham has become the WNBA’s most polarizing figure recently. Ever since the Indiana Fever guard publicly commented on trans athletes competing in women’s sports, the conversation surrounding her has been impossible to ignore. But Cunningham recently found backing from three-time Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson.
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For the second straight road game, Cunningham’s supporters gathered outside the arena before tipoff in Portland. The former Olympian Thompson joined the rally and even explained why she believes the Fever guard’s stance deserves public backing.
“We have had Title IX for over 50 years, and we are still fighting to have sex-separated sports,” Thompson said during an interview with FOX & Friends. “What was spectacular with Sophie is that she is the only pro, active athlete at this point that had the bravery to speak up, and we needed her, and we wanted to support her and her efforts to have fairness for women.
“You can support trans people, and at the same time we have to be thoughtful of our next generation of Olympians, and these young women that we are protecting, and we have watched a massive die-off of a lot of young girls in many sports because they’re in there competing against the boys, and if it’s not fair, the girls walk away.”
According to the US Department of Education, Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Yet the debate remains contested. At the Moda Center in Portland, that tension played out in real time during the Fever’s game against the Portland Fire.
There was clear frustration in the crowd at the game, and they were not afraid to express it. Once the ball tipped off at the Moda Center, Sophie Cunningham was constantly booed throughout her 27 minutes on the floor. Every time she touched the ball or attempted a shot, the crowd let her hear it. Attendees were clearly very upset over Cunningham’s previous comment. But that wasn’t the only reason.
Much of the frustration also stemmed from an announcement made by the Portland Fire ahead of the game. The franchise informed fans that “flags are not allowed” inside the arena in an effort to “make sure fans feel supported and safe.” Yet despite that, several reports suggested fans still waved small pink, blue, and white transgender flags whenever Cunningham checked into the game or touched the ball.
However, even before she stepped onto the court, Sophie Cunningham made it clear she had no intention of changing who she is, per ESPN.
“I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not going to like shadow that or hide or dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that.”
And that’s exactly what she did.
Amid the boos and backlash, Sophie Cunningham finished the game with 13 points and three assists to help lead the Fever to their fifth straight win.