WNBA player Sophie Cunningham has stirred controversy after defending women’s sports, leading to a call for the Indiana Fever to release her. Fox News contributor Kat Timpf and podcast host Kennedy joined Ainsley Earhardt to discuss her stance, noting that 80% of the population supports her views. They also previewed a new episode of ‘the Girls’ podcast.
Sophie Cunningham’s response to criticism was blunt. When a New York Times column suggested that Indiana Fever should part ways with her, she simply said, “Suck it.” This statement came during Friday’s episode of “No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen,” where Cunningham emphasized that she no longer cares about external opinions, stating, “I literally don’t even care what anyone says about me anymore. If you’re going to live by the praise, you’re going to die by the hate.”
The controversy arose following an Oct. 6 column by The Athletic, a New York Times-owned outlet, advocating for Indiana to distance itself from Cunningham. The column argued that her outspoken views on transgender athletes had overshadowed the team’s priorities, portraying her as “too combustible.” Cunningham is set to become an unrestricted free agent after two seasons with Indiana.
Her opposition to transgender athletes competing in female sports sparked protests both supporting and opposing her stance at Fever games. Despite these rallies, Cunningham stated she was not worried about them distracting her team. Drew Hanlen, her podcast co-host, criticized the column as a “hate piece,” but chose to address its basketball-related arguments.
Hanlen defended Cunningham’s performance, noting she ranked fourth among WNBA bench scorers and was among the top five three-point shooters league-wide. He emphasized, “A lot of teams would want a top five bench scorer who is also a top five three-point shooter in the entire league.”
He also highlighted her 60.8% effective field goal percentage, ranking her fourth in the league. “Don’t try to put down the basketball stuff,” Hanlen insisted. He pointed to her season averages of 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, along with a 41.9% three-point shooting accuracy over 43 games, noting she started only three games.
The column acknowledged Cunningham’s value beyond traditional stats, describing her as a protective teammate. Despite critiques, Cunningham remains confident, saying, “No matter what anyone says to me, I’m going to continue to do me. I know what I bring to the table. It’s not always in the stat sheet.”
Cunningham’s perspective is clear: “And so for you to like not say I’m effective or any of that, whatever. Suck it.”