Cunningham seeks to refocus on basketball after transgender athlete comments spark national debate

Sophie Cunningham said Wednesday she wants to move past a national controversy that has consumed the Fever since her July comments on transgender athletes sparked three scheduled rallies and exposed divisions within the WNBA coaching ranks.

Cunningham addressed reporters one day before Indiana plays the Las Vegas Aces, per ESPN reporting. "I'm going to let people just do the speaking for themselves, but for me, I want to get back to basketball," she said, according to ESPN. "It's always been about basketball. That interview happened in March. I just want to make sure that the focus stays where it should because people are playing at such a high level."

In the ESPN.com feature from July, Cunningham said she felt qualified to speak on how to "protect women's sports." She stated, per ESPN: "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."

The comments triggered demonstrations at the Fever's stops in Seattle, Portland, and Minnesota, where supporters of Cunningham's position were met by opposing protesters at all three venues. In Minnesota, the crowd booed Cunningham when she entered and whenever she touched the ball, per ESPN's reporting. Cunningham described her comfort with the environment, saying, per ESPN: "Honestly, I think people think I'm freaking out or hate that. I love that. That is sports. That is what rivalries and competitiveness is all about."

Two additional rallies are planned for Chicago on Saturday and New York on August 22, according to ESPN's reporting. The backlash extends into the coaching ranks: Stephanie White (Fever), Cheryl Reeve (Lynx), and Natalie Nakase (Golden State) have recently shared opinions favoring more inclusive transgender athlete policy, particularly for younger athletes, per ESPN. Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson wore a "trans rights are human rights" t-shirt during the Storm's July 28 game against the Fever, per ESPN's account.

The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of splintered state laws and a silent WNBA. Twenty-seven states, including Indiana, have passed legislation restricting transgender girls and women from girls' and women's sports, according to ESPN's reporting. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia in June, per ESPN. Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York are among 21 states allowing transgender girls and women to participate in school sports, per ESPN's reporting.

The 2026 collective bargaining agreement signed in March states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," according to ESPN's reporting. However, there is no further definition of a woman or any publicly available policy governing transgender or intersex athlete eligibility in the WNBA. ESPN reports the league has not responded to multiple requests for policy clarification.

On court, Cunningham's Fever team has won five of its past six games. According to ESPN, Indiana leads the WNBA in points per game at 96.5 and in offensive rating at 115.6. The Fever scored 100 or more points in a league-record six consecutive games, per ESPN. Kelsey Mitchell ranks second in WNBA scoring, and Caitlin Clark ranks third, while A'ja Wilson of Las Vegas leads the league, per ESPN.

Cunningham expressed frustration with media coverage priorities, saying, per ESPN: "WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball. And it's like what are we doing?" She added, per ESPN: "There's so much good going on in the WNBA right now. I think that basketball is being played at the highest level it's ever been." On her team's readiness, she said, per ESPN: "Our team is good. My teammates are good. Our locker room is great. And so now we're just here, about to prepare for Las Vegas, and that's where our mind is at."