Saturday night's showdown between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever at Barclays Center was a thriller on the court—but the real drama unfolded on the sidewalk outside. A group of pro-Sophie Cunningham supporters, waving anti-transgender athlete signs, gathered to back the Fever guard. Across from them, counter-protesters rallied in support of trans athletes. It was a scene straight out of the culture wars, and it didn't take long for the whole thing to backfire spectacularly.
Sportico caught up with fans on both sides of the protest, asking a simple question: name five WNBA players. The results were, to put it mildly, embarrassing for the Cunningham crew. One supporter offered, "I can name Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark, that's all I've got." Another admitted, "No I cannot, I'm sorry." A third tried to rattle off names but stumbled: "Sophie Cunningham, uh, it's always fun…Caitlin Clark, Reese, A'ja (Wilson)…I said Caitlin Clark." And yet another confessed, "Probably not, no. I could name Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark, that's it."
The contrast was stark. The pro-transgender supporters, many of whom are die-hard WNBA fans, had no trouble listing players. One fan tweeted, "Notice that the Liberty fans can actually name five while the Fever fans can't.😆😆😆" Another added, "The fact they can't even name the 5 starters 🤣 that coulda been a cheap way to get to 5 and they still cant." The mockery was swift and relentless.
Critics were quick to point out the irony. "If Sophie is bringing eyes to the sport, you would think they could have at least mentioned five of the players from the Fever. Welp, I hope they enjoyed watching Ellie and seeing the 🗽 win," one fan wrote. Another chimed in, "It's almost like one side actually cares about women's sports & the other is doing so performatively to culture war hijack the midterms…"
This isn't the first time Cunningham's supporters have made headlines for the wrong reasons. Earlier this season, the Liberty's jumbotron sent a blunt message to the Fever guard, and her anthem gesture became Saturday's talk of the WNBA. The ongoing protests have also sparked clashes with coaches, who labeled the demonstrations as hate speech.
For a player who has built a reputation as a hard-nosed competitor, the circus around her is becoming a distraction. Cunningham, who has been praised for her grace under pressure in Toronto, deserves better than fans who can't even name her teammates. The Fever, now 24-14, are in the thick of a playoff race, and Cunningham's on-court contributions are what should matter—not the ignorance of a few loud voices outside the arena.
But the damage is done. The image of Cunningham supporters fumbling basic WNBA knowledge is now a viral meme, and it reinforces a narrative that the movement is less about women's sports and more about politics. As one fan put it, "They're not fans of the game; they're fans of the controversy."
In the end, the Liberty walked away with a 109-102 victory, and the Fever walked away with a loss—but the real losers might be the fans who showed up to support a player they clearly know little about. If you're going to stand outside an arena and protest, at least do your homework. Otherwise, you're just proving everyone's point.
