Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has become the center of a firestorm this week, and not just for her team's on-court performance. During a heated matchup against the Indiana Fever, Reeve stepped onto the sideline wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “Trans kids belong.” The message was widely seen as a direct response to Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's recent comments about protecting girls from competing against transgender athletes.
Cunningham, who told ESPN she wants to shield young girls from facing “biological men” in sports, later clarified her stance. “I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” she said. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love. 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.”
Now, former Minnesota Vikings captain Jack Brewer is weighing in, and he isn't holding back. Brewer, who played in the NFL from 2002 to 2006, told Fox News Digital that Reeve's choice of attire is a slap in the face to the state's sports community. “The Lynx have a rich history in that state. That team was established the year I got to Minnesota, and I remember watching them. To now see a coach representing that team in this way is sad,” he said.
Brewer, a father of an eight-year-old daughter who plays competitive tennis and soccer in Minnesota, expressed deep personal disappointment. “It is sad to think that young girls in Minnesota are coming to games and watching teams promote something like that. It is ridiculous to think that a grown woman would go so hard in support of men playing against women and entering women’s locker rooms,” he added.
The former captain didn't stop there, calling Reeve's message harmful to children. “This coach is promoting the idea that children who should be receiving psychiatric treatment… should instead be affirmed. It is disgusting and sad. These people are sick and need help. We should be praying for them and finding treatment for them. Instead, people like this coach in Minnesota are promoting these types of atrocities. It is a terrible thing.”
Brewer's frustration is personal. “As a father and someone whose family is deeply connected to Minnesota sports, I have an eight-year-old daughter who plays highly competitive tennis and competitive soccer. She also plays and trains in Minnesota. We go to Minnesota during the summers. Her cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles are there. My nieces and nephews are there. I went to school in Minnesota, my family lives there, and my cousins coach various sports there. I am involved in sports in that state. It is embarrassing.”
Reeve, however, is standing firm. Despite the backlash, she defended her decision, telling reporters, “I come from a space of inclusion. The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women’s sports. This is what’s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.”
The controversy has sparked wider debates about Reeve's message to Cunningham and the growing cultural clash over transgender participation in athletics. Some have even drawn parallels to criticism of Caitlin Clark, while others point to anti-trans rallies targeting the Fever-Lynx game as a sign of deepening division.
As the WNBA season rolls on, Reeve's shirt has turned a basketball game into a cultural flashpoint. Whether fans agree with her or not, one thing is certain: the conversation around transgender athletes in women's sports is far from over.
