Sophie Cunningham Speaks Out Against Trans Athletes in Women’s Sports
In a new interview, the viral WNBA star says she wants to “protect young girls” from transgender athletes.
One of the WNBA’s most viral and controversial players just spoke out against trans girls in sports.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the most recognizable faces in the WNBA thanks to her gritty play, viral antics, and proximity to superstar Caitlin Clark.
Now, Cunningham is the focus of a feature interview on ESPN exploring her role as a hero and villain in the WNBA, and in the culture at large. While largely avoiding taking political stances, Cunningham did chime in on one issue, saying that she wants to “protect young girls” in locker rooms and sports from “biological men.”
In the story, Cunningham says the “MAGA Barbie” label that some people use for her is just projection, and that she is “very much in the middle” politically. However, the one political talking point she is willing to voice is right-wing anti-trans rhetoric of how to “protect women’s sports.”
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans [sic]. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Cunningham says, referring to a time in 2022 when she retweeted a post about trans swimmer Lia Thomas that said “female collegiate athletes deserve so much better.”
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) March 18, 2022
Cunningham then released a statement on X (then Twitter), saying that she stands “with all people, adding, “I do not judge, but support all races, religions, sexual preferences and gender equality. We all have a place in this world to compete and I hope we are able to grant everyone that opportunity fairly.”
Now in 2026, Cunningham is clearer about where she stands.
“I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest,” she tells ESPN. “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.”
More and more, studies and evidence show that trans girls, especially if they are allowed to transition before puberty, do not pose a competitive or safety threat to cisgender girls in sports.
Like her teammate Clark, Cunningham is also in the middle of the WNBA’s cultural clash, where white and conservative fans who flocked to the league following Clark are resistant to the league’s Black and largely queer image. This has also led to racist attacks and death threats against Black players like Alyssa Thomas who foul or play against Clark and Cunningham.
Clark, who is in her third year in the league, has set many records in both college and professional basketball, and some people call her the “face” of the league.
Recently, a group of 11 Republican lawmakers labeled her as the league’s “face” in a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in which they argued that fouls and physical play against Clark “may be racially motivated.”
“As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation,” the letter says, referring to Clark’s treatment on the court, not the threats made against Thomas.
