Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is no stranger to the spotlight this WNBA season, but she's making it clear that the noise—whether cheers or jeers—won't shake her.
Cunningham, who's putting up 9.5 points per game for the Fever, sparked a firestorm last month when she told ESPN she wants to protect young girls from competing against transgender athletes. The backlash was swift, but Cunningham says her words were twisted.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham told ESPN. “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.”
The Portland Fire crowd at Moda Center didn't take kindly to those remarks. Cunningham was booed every time she touched the ball Friday night, and the reception was so intense that it even drew a rally of supporters in Portland.
But Cunningham insists the negativity doesn't bother her. She's not worried about becoming the league's "villain" or a distraction to her team.
“I think at the end of the day, I come in and I do my job. I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I’m full of love. I’m bubbly. I love the people around me. I love basketball. I love inspiring the next generation and doing that in a positive light. And so that doesn’t even cross my mind. Doesn’t cross my teammates’ minds,” Cunningham said, via the Associated Press. “And again, I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not gonna like shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that.”
Her defiance was on full display when she hit a three-pointer and shouted "losers" at the Portland crowd—a moment that quickly went viral on social media.
Some fans have rallied behind Cunningham, with supporters holding signs outside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle earlier this week. Another rally was scheduled in Portland on Friday, but Cunningham says she's had nothing to do with organizing them.
“I have honestly had nothing to do with them,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s people just practicing their rights of freedom of speech and doing what other fans have been doing since the WNBA has started. And so props to them, props to everyone who is able to be competent and be bold and courageous enough to speak their truths.”
The controversy has also drawn reactions from public figures, including J.K. Rowling's support and Brian Urlacher's endorsement, while others like Jemele Hill have criticized her stance. Cunningham, however, remains unfazed.
The Fever will face the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday afternoon, and it remains to be seen whether the crowd will embrace her or continue the boos. Either way, Cunningham says she's not backing down.
