Supporters of WNBA player Sophie Cunningham gathered peacefully outside Target Center in Minneapolis on Sunday ahead of the Indiana Fever's game against the Minnesota Lynx, but were met by trans activists who reportedly hurled slurs and became physical. The incident marks the latest in a series of confrontations following Cunningham's public statements on transgender athletes.
Women's sports advocates, wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts and holding signs with slogans such as "Pro-Women, Not Anti-Trans" and "Trust the Science," organized the rally. This was the third such gathering in support of Cunningham since she stated that young female athletes "shouldn’t have to go against biological men."
Video footage from Sunday's event outside the arena shows counterprotesters using megaphones, shouting slurs, and attempting to remove shirts from Cunningham's supporters. One individual was seen holding a fan with a slur displayed on it. At one point, an activist reportedly became physical with a supporter, requiring security intervention.
Similar confrontations have preceded other Indiana Fever games. In Seattle, two teenage girls attending a game wearing XX-XY shirts and holding a sign that read, "Thank You Sophie For Speaking Up For Girls," were allegedly approached by Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton. Reports indicate Keaton cursed at the girls and called them "f—ing insane," leaving one in tears. The WNBA subsequently fined the Storm and suspended Keaton from attending five home games.
Outside the Moda Center in Portland, trans activists interrupted speakers and confronted attendees during a rally prior to another Fever game. Inside the arena, Cunningham reportedly faced boos whenever she entered the game or touched the ball.
Despite the controversy, Cunningham has expressed her commitment to her views. "I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me," she stated before the Portland game. "I’m not going to, like, shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that."