The scene outside the Target Center on Sunday was anything but peaceful. What was meant to be a show of support for Sophie Cunningham devolved into shouting matches, physical shoving, and torn shirts, as the Minnesota Lynx hosted the Indiana Fever in a marquee WNBA matchup.
For days, rallies backing Cunningham have popped up in Seattle and Portland, drawing activists who wave the XX-XY Athletics flag and carry signs reading “Pro-Women, Not Anti-Trans” and “Trust the Science.” Sunday’s gathering outside the Target Center followed that pattern—until things got heated.
Video from the scene shows counterprotesters armed with megaphones, shouting slurs and grabbing at the shirts of Cunningham’s backers. At one point, an activist got physical with a supporter, and security had to step in to break it up. Outkick reported the altercation, noting that what started as a demonstration quickly spiraled into chaos.
Among those in attendance was former swimmer Riley Gaines, who posted on social media: “General rule of thumb is when Minneapolis boos for something, normal people applaud. I show up for my girl @sophaller because she shows up for my daughter.”
The rallies have put the WNBA in an uncomfortable spotlight, and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve didn’t shy away from addressing the tension. “I don’t think we should feel like our safe space is being threatened,” Reeve said. “That’s what I enjoy about the WNBA. And I think we have to continue to safeguard that. I don’t think these demonstrators are not being peaceful, or not that I’ve seen.”
Reeve acknowledged the right to peaceful assembly but stressed the league’s responsibility to protect transgender youth. “We have some issues,” she said. “Number one, we need to protect trans kids. Every kid—to me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports regardless of (being) gender diverse, transgender.”
She went on to call for nuance, saying that while things get complicated at elite levels, the answer isn’t exclusion. “Now, what gets nuanced is when you’re beyond puberty, when you’re in Olympic sport, when we have scholarships at stake and that sort of thing. That’s where I say that common-sense people get together, and you find common ground to find a way to be inclusive. The answer isn’t no.”
Reeve also pushed back on harmful narratives, adding, “It is not the case that we have ‘biological men in girls’ locker rooms,’ the way it’s being phrased, the innuendo there that somehow transgender women are predators. There’s a lot of narrative that is problematic that we need to address. That is simply not what’s happening.”
The incident adds another layer to what has already been a divisive week for the league. Cunningham has become a polarizing figure, with fans booing her in arenas and even former NBA players weighing in. Fever coach Stephanie White expressed frustration over the distraction, while Reeve has already made her stance clear with a t-shirt message that spoke volumes.
As the WNBA continues to navigate these cultural clashes, Sunday’s ugly scene serves as a reminder that the conversation is far from settled. For now, Reeve’s plea for common ground and safety echoes louder than the megaphones outside.
