On Sunday, a gathering of opponents and advocates surrounded Target Center in response to Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham’s recent statements about transgender athletes in women’s sports. This gathering occurred as the Fever played against the Lynx in Minnesota.
Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx coach, demonstrated support for transgender inclusion by wearing a shirt proclaiming, “Trans kids belong.” Her team achieved a 108-100 victory over the Fever. Supporters in the audience also wore shirts with the slogan, “Trans kids belong in sports.”
Cunningham’s comments, which supported excluding transgender girls and women from women’s sports, have attracted rallies for the third consecutive Fever game. The comments were published by ESPN last week.
Before the game, Cunningham and Reeve conversed at midcourt. Although Reeve did not disclose specific details, she highlighted their shared goal of education despite any differences.
“Both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate,” Reeve said.
Throughout the game, Cunningham faced boos from the crowd each time she touched the ball.
Outside the arena, crowds gathered, some using loudspeakers to advocate for trans rights with repeated messages like “Protect trans women.” Signs nearby included “Love is truth” and “Thank you Sophie.”
Caitlin Clark, commenting post-game, emphasized the team’s primary focus on basketball and obtaining victories, noting the need for improvement following their loss. She mentioned the importance of leagues working with athletes to seek solutions.
“I think it’s for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions,” Clark said. “Our focus is on basketball.”
On Friday in Portland, Cunningham stated that criticism over her stance does not distract her or her teammates. She emphasized her love for basketball and inspiring future generations positively.
“I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I’m full of love. I’m bubbly. I love the people around me,” Cunningham said. “That doesn’t even cross my mind. Doesn’t cross my teammates’ minds.”