WNBA player Sophie Cunningham stated that women athletes "shouldn’t have to go against biological men" in sports, addressing her position amid ongoing discussions about transgender athletes.
In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Cunningham, who has faced online criticism and been labeled "MAGA Barbie," clarified her views. "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,'" she told the outlet. "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."
Cunningham, 29, described her political beliefs as being "very much in the middle," agreeing and disagreeing with aspects from various sides. "People love to assume," she added.
This is not the first time Cunningham has publicly shared her thoughts on the matter. In 2022, she retweeted a post from CBS Sports' Josh Pate regarding former Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, with Pate writing, "Female collegiate athletes deserve so much better than this." Cunningham followed up with a statement on X, formerly Twitter, affirming her support for all people, including fellow athletes, and emphasizing fairness in competition.
"To my teammates, friends, family, supporters and fans, you know that I stand with all people, especially my fellow athletes," her 2022 statement read. "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."
Cunningham recently hosted a basketball camp for girls in grades 1-8. She is currently in her second season with the Indiana Fever, averaging 9.4 points per game on 48 percent shooting. The Fever are scheduled to play the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night before the WNBA All-Star break.