WNBA star Sophie Cunningham has publicly shared her views on transgender athletes participating in women's sports, stating her commitment to protecting young girls. In a recent ESPN interview, Cunningham addressed the issue for the first time, emphasizing that her position is about safeguarding female athletes.
"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 said.
She clarified that her stance has been misconstrued, stating, "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that.'"
Cunningham described her position as being "in the middle," acknowledging agreement and disagreement with various aspects of the debate, and noted that "people love to assume" about her political beliefs.
This is not the first time Cunningham has faced public attention for her comments on the matter. In March 2022, she faced backlash for re-sharing a tweet from CBS Sports host Josh Pate that questioned the inclusion of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas on a women's team. At the time, Pate's tweet read, "Female collegiate athletes deserve so much better than this."
Following the previous controversy, Cunningham released a statement asserting her support for all individuals. "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.
Cunningham has gained a significant following, particularly among conservative fans, in recent years. Her comments come as the debate surrounding transgender athletes in sports continues across various levels of competition.
Riley Gaines, an advocate for protecting women's sports who previously competed against Lia Thomas, expressed hope that recent legal developments would encourage more prominent female athletes to speak out. Gaines had suggested that athletes like Cunningham and Caitlin Clark, alongside others, should "link arms" on the issue.