{"id":2640142,"date":"2026-08-04T08:08:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T12:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignwoke-wnba-attacks-sophie-cunningham-and-her-fans-for-supporting-womens-rights\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T08:13:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T12:13:00","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignwoke-wnba-attacks-sophie-cunningham-and-her-fans-for-supporting-womens-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignwoke-wnba-attacks-sophie-cunningham-and-her-fans-for-supporting-womens-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Woke WNBA Opposes Sophie Cunningham And Her Fans For Supporting Women&#8217;s Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignwoke-wnba-attacks-sophie-cunningham-and-her-fans-for-supporting-womens-rights%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2640142&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Sophie Cunningham, a notable WNBA player known for her outspoken stance on women\u2019s sports and transgender athlete inclusion. She gained attention through an ESPN feature highlighting her bold personality and \u201cpoint,\u201d and she publicly advocates for protecting women\u2019s sports from transgender competitors,clarifying she supports fairness without hating trans individuals. Her comments received both praise from conservatives,including J.K.Rowling and the White House, and outrage, prompting protests outside stadiums and mixed reactions within the league. Some coaches and players, like Cheryl Reeve and Natalie Nakase, emphasize inclusion and support trans athletes, while Cunningham faces criticism and opposition from fans and peers. The controversy has ignited debates within the WNBA, leading to heated protests and accusations of unfair treatment during games. Despite the backlash, Cunningham remains steadfast in her beliefs, emphasizing her right to express her views and stand for what she believes is right.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>It all started with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/wnba\/story\/_\/id\/49306657\/sophie-cunningham-finger-point-indiana-fever-wnba\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/wnba\/story\/_\/id\/49306657\/sophie-cunningham-finger-point-indiana-fever-wnba\">an ESPN article<\/a> last month: \u201cLove her or hate her, Sophie Cunningham won\u2019t be ignored.\u201d The feature story addressed Cunningham\u2019s reputation as a sassy six-foot-one Indiana Fever guard, her legendary \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/the-best-sophie-cunningham-now-viral-finger-pointing-memes-12008349\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">point<\/a>,\u201d and rise to critical acclaim in the WNBA.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s been labeled a \u201cMAGA Barbie\u201d by many across the internet. Cunningham replied to the accusation: \u201cI\u2019m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that\u2019s all I\u2019ve ever said about my political beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What Cunningham said she openly supports is protecting women\u2019s sports for women. She\u2019s the first professional athlete in the WNBA to come out and say so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I\u2019m like, \u2018I never once said that,&#8217;\u201d Cunningham told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/wnba\/story\/_\/id\/49306657\/sophie-cunningham-finger-point-indiana-fever-wnba\">ESPN<\/a>. \u201cI 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\u2019t have to go against biological men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her comments were met with instant support from fans, the White House, Harry Potter author <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jk_rowling\/status\/2082552376603382197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2082552376603382197%7Ctwgr%5Ed49891db2819ac5ea1e4a9d2e8a2286779e82346%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheblast.com%2F829414%2Fcheryl-reeve-clear-message-sophie-cunningham-trans-kids-belong-shirt-game%2F\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jk_rowling\/status\/2082552376603382197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2082552376603382197%7Ctwgr%5Ed49891db2819ac5ea1e4a9d2e8a2286779e82346%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheblast.com%2F829414%2Fcheryl-reeve-clear-message-sophie-cunningham-trans-kids-belong-shirt-game%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">J.K. Rowling<\/a>, and many across conservative circles, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/white-house-defends-wnba-star-sophie-cunningham-speaks-support-protecting-womens-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lauding her<\/a> for taking a stand. Days later, Cunningham\u2019s Adidas \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adidas.com\/us\/crazy-energy-sophie-cunningham-basketball-shoes\/HP5223.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crazy Energy<\/a>\u201d basketball shoes sold out immediately. <\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>But her comments also sparked outrage. Reporters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=1541186950979654\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=1541186950979654\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confronted<\/a> Cunningham on her position and she responded, \u201cI said what I said and I think it\u2019s kinda common sense. I\u2019ll always believe that.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In the three weeks since the ESPN article, Cunningham has refused to back down from her beliefs. As she declines to bend the knee to a woke narrative, the backlash continues, and has sparked a trans-athlete debate within the WNBA.<\/p>\n<p>For three straight games (with the Indiana Fever against Portland Fire, Seattle Storm, and Minnesota Lynx) there\u2019s been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcchicago.com\/wnba\/sophie-cunningham-comments-transgender-athletes-rally-minnesota-lynx-fever\/3969515\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nbcchicago.com\/wnba\/sophie-cunningham-comments-transgender-athletes-rally-minnesota-lynx-fever\/3969515\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rallies<\/a> held outside stadiums both for and against Cunningham and trans athletes.<\/p>\n<p>But inside the WNBA, some are choosing to speak against Sophie\u2019s statements. Ironically, these coaches and athletes say they \u201cwant to be inclusive\u201d and support biological men in women\u2019s sports instead. A week after the article released, Seattle Storm center Stephanie Dolson, who identifies as bisexual, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbW2qphmgEv\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;ig_rid=Ay1JRVVyzi-TyqTLmsG6ork\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbW2qphmgEv\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;ig_rid=Ay1JRVVyzi-TyqTLmsG6ork\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wore a T-shirt<\/a> responding to Cunningham\u2019s position: \u201ctrans rights are human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fans of Cunningham at the Seattle game, including two teenage girls, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/sophie-cunningham-fans-allege-storm-players-exec-heckled-girls-game-support-womens-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">were<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JackThompsonFOX\/status\/2082573344130433385\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">  heckled<\/a>, booed, and cussed out in the stands for showing their support. Cunningham <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sophaller\/status\/2082675804874604615\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sophaller\/status\/2082675804874604615\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">praised<\/a> the girls on X for \u201cstanding up for their beliefs,\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response to the boos and jeers she receives during games, Cunningham said: \u201cI\u2019m here to play basketball, but I\u2019m also here to be me. I\u2019m not going to shadow that or hide or dim my light just because maybe people don\u2019t agree with that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the latest match on Sunday, Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/despicable-wnba-fans-explode-espn-041537673.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/despicable-wnba-fans-explode-espn-041537673.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wore a shirt<\/a> that said: \u201cTrans kids belong.\u201d To press, Reeve has called Cunningham\u2019s views \u201cproblematic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI come from a space of inclusion,\u201d she <a href=\"https:\/\/theblast.com\/829414\/cheryl-reeve-clear-message-sophie-cunningham-trans-kids-belong-shirt-game\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/theblast.com\/829414\/cheryl-reeve-clear-message-sophie-cunningham-trans-kids-belong-shirt-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> to media. \u201cThe narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women\u2019s sports. This is what\u2019s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other WNBA coaches also blasted Cunningham.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSports [are] about inclusivity,\u201d said Natalie Nakase, headcoach for Golden State Valkyries. \u201cIt\u2019s about allowing everyone to be their authentic self. I\u2019m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trans-women-find-out-if-they-can-skip-military-draft-under-biden-administration-2\/\" title=\"Trans Women Find Out If They Can Skip Military Draft Under Biden Administration\">includes trans women<\/a>. So I\u2019m all about inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the game between Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever, fans came with signs to support or side against Cunningham. However, fans and audience members including <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Riley_Gaines_\/status\/2084035928398377465\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Riley_Gaines_\/status\/2084035928398377465\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Riley Gaines<\/a>, who held posters saying \u201cThank you, Sophie\u201d were asked to remove their signs. Those speaking against Cunningham <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/disgustingly-stupid-sports-world-blasts-041738057.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/disgustingly-stupid-sports-world-blasts-041738057.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">were allowed<\/a> to keep them during the game.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019ve been <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/intentional-bullying-sophie-cunningham-takes-192447588.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/intentional-bullying-sophie-cunningham-takes-192447588.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">game calls made<\/a> that seem to be unfairly attacking Cunningham as well. She took an elbow to the face from Lynx forward Nia Coffey during a play, yet the ref called the foul on Cunningham. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Libby Bandelin is a reporting and editing intern at The Federalist with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.   A recent graduate from Dordt University, she earned her B.A. in communications with an emphasis in journalism and a minor in criminal justice.   In college, she served as chief editor for her student newspaper, and her writing won third place in the 2026 Cordell Prize.  She&#8217;s also attended journalism intensives with WORLD newsgroup and Alliance Defending Freedom.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ESPN profile highlights Sophie Cunningham\u2019s bold stance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4334,"featured_media":2640143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sophie_Cunningham_Fever-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[81753,36176,83645,32276],"class_list":["post-2640142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-sophie-cunningham","tag-sports-politics","tag-woke-wnba","tag-womens-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sophie_Cunningham_Fever-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4334"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2640142"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2640146,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640142\/revisions\/2640146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2640143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2640142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}