WNBA Star Breaks With League On Explosive Issue

Unlike so many professional female athletes, WNBA star Sophie Cunningham is not afraid to stand up for the protection of female athletes.

The Indiana Fever guard says that while her politics are “middle” of the road, she feels compelled to speak out on the matter.

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,'” Cunningham said in an interview with ESPN published Tuesday, referring to her position on women’s sports.

“I think that I am here to extend love,” she continued. “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.”

“I’m very much in the middle [politically],” the Missouri native said after an ESPN interviewer said some people view her as Right-wing or “MAGA.”

“I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides,” Cunningham added. “And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume.”

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Cunningham’s position runs counter to that of the WNBA. Not only has the organization signaled its devotion to so-called LGBT activism, but the league’s players’ union, the WNBPA, has explicitly advocated for transgender “inclusion.” In 2022, the union issued a statement railing against laws that protect girls’ sports and emphasizing its commitment to “fight for trans youth across the country.”

Individual players have also promoted males in female sports. Former WNBA player Layshia Clarendon and current Las Vegas Aces forward Brianna Turner, for example, wrote a 2024 CNN opinion piece urging the NCAA to allow males in these female spaces.

Cunningham, though, is authentically herself — even when that runs counter to the WNBA norm. “You see so many people change or try to fit into a box,” she said. “I don’t even know what that box is. It’s a fake box. Everyone wants to look the same. Everyone wants the same vibe. Screw that. I’m gonna be me.”

“People love me or they really frickin’ hate me,” Cunningham added. “I just don’t care.”

As highlighted by The Daily Wire earlier this month, the WNBA standout refused to publicly criticize President Donald Trump, again breaking with many players in the league.

“Did you see the one with the White House posted, with the president in it, and did you have any thoughts on it?” a reporter asked Cunningham about her viral “pointing” meme. The athlete responded, “I think everyone around the world is posting it, every company has done it, they’re just the ones also to get on board and I don’t really think twice about it.”

Sophie Cunningham holds up a ring card before a lightweight UFC bout. Credit: Ian Maule/Getty Images

Cunningham’s bold stance earned praise on social media. Female sports advocate Riley Gaines commented, “In a world full of Megan Rapinoes, be a Sophie Cunningham.” Rapinoe, the former U.S. soccer star, advocates for males in girls’ sports.

Related: WNBA Star Sophie Cunningham Won’t Diss Trump After White House Meme