Sophie Cunningham's former teammate, Sydney Colson, made a pointed social media comment following a hard foul on Cunningham by Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington. The incident occurred during a game where Carrington was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul after striking Cunningham during a layup attempt. Following the play, Colson, who played with Cunningham on the Indiana Fever during the 2025 WNBA season, posted on Threads, "I love a trans foul."
Carrington, after her ejection, posted on social media, "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever." Fever coach Stephanie White defended Carrington's play in a post-game press conference, stating, "I don't oppose the hard foul. But I also don't think she intentionally went for the neck." White had previously coached Carrington.
Cunningham has been a focal point of a broader debate regarding transgender athletes in sports. Weeks prior, Cunningham stated her desire to "protect young girls" from "biological men" competing in women's sports. This stance has drawn significant attention and sparked protests. The WNBA players' union released a statement addressing the controversy, emphasizing the union's commitment to diversity and inclusion and condemning the "demonization" of transgender people. The union stated, "Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns."
Cunningham's comments have elicited a range of reactions from public figures, including politicians and athletes, and have fueled protests both for and against her position. The WNBPA's statement aimed to counter what it described as "hate" against the transgender community and encouraged fans to report abusive behavior and contact elected officials to strengthen Title IX protections.