WNBA star Sophie Cunningham has spoken out about the debate surrounding transgender athletes in sport, insisting she wants to ‘protect young girls’.
Back in 2022, the Indiana Fever star faced heavy backlash after sharing a post from CBS Sports host Josh Pate regarding the controversy surrounding former Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and their inclusion on the women’s team.
Pate’s post read: ‘Female collegiate athletes deserve so much better than this’.
Cunningham was forced to release a statement over the matter, at the time, saying that she ‘stands’ with athletes, but calling for ‘fair’ competition in events. Now, she has spoken out about the backlash and doubled down on her remarks.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Cunningham said: ‘I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. 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.’
Sophie Cunningham has spoken out about the debate about transgender athletes in sport
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who is transgender, and Kentucky swimmer Gaines tied for fifth place in the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships
However, Cunningham further described her personal political outlook as balanced, resisting attempts to label her beliefs strictly on one side of the aisle.
‘I’m very much in the middle,’ Cunningham explained.
‘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.’
Cunningham, who plays alongside Caitlin Clark in Indiana, has grown into one of the most visible figures in the WNBA over the past year both on and off the court.
Her statement, back in 2022, read: ‘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,’ she wrote.
Last month, Donald Trump secured a landmark victory when the Supreme Court paved the way for states to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports by upholding state laws.
The ruling overturned decisions by lower courts in siding with trans students who challenged bans in Idaho and West Virginia as violating the Constitution and a federal anti-discrimination law.
The Indiana Fever star has become a fan-favorite in the WNBA over recent years
Gaines is known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in women’s sports
In the wake of the ruling, political activist and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, sent a message to a number of high-profile female athletes – including Cunningham.
‘Let this be a clarion call, not just to Simone [Biles], but to every, I think especially elite female athlete, professional female athlete, the likes of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Serena Williams, to link arms,’ the former college swimmer told Outkick.
The former University of Kentucky swimmer, who first gained notoriety in 2022 when she tied trans athlete Lia Thomas for fifth in the NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships, added that the ruling made her feel ‘vindicated.’
‘I feel, of course, excited, I feel optimistic about the future,’ Gaines said. ‘But I think the feeling that I feel the most of is vindicated.’
‘Let it be known that you also think young girls are worthy of calling themselves champions one day,’ Gaines added.
