Fever’s Sophie Cunningham not concerned about being a distractionAssociated PressMultiple AuthorsJul 31, 2026, 11:17 PM ET
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Sophie Cunningham says she is unconcerned that the rallies against transgender participation in women’s sports that have accompanied the Indiana Fever’s recent games are a distraction for the WNBA team.
Cunningham made the comments before the Fever’s game Friday night against the Portland Fire. Outside, a group rallied for the second straight game in support of Cunningham and her recent comments about transgender athletes.
“At the end of the day, I come in and I do my job,” Cunningham stated. “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.
“And again, I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not going to like shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that.”
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Portland’s rally came after a similar one for Cunningham earlier in the week before the Fever’s game at the Seattle Storm. Both rallies attracted about two dozen participants and a bevy of onlookers.
“I have honestly had nothing to do with them,” Cunningham stated. “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.”
Another rally was planned in Minneapolis for Sunday when the Fever play the Minnesota Lynx.
In Seattle on Tuesday, two Cunningham supporters sat courtside at Climate Change Arena holding signs. A co-owner of the Storm, Celeste Keaton, was later fined an undisclosed amount and suspended from five home games by the WNBA for an exchange with the two supporters.
The Storm apologized for the incident but did not provide details about the exchange, releasing a statement that stated: “We remain committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for anyone who attends a Storm game.”
The Seattle rally promoted statewide ballot initiative IL26-638 that would bar transgender students from participating in girls’ athletics at Washington schools. People at the rally praised Cunningham, who voiced support for barring transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports in recent interviews.
“I am here to be a cheerleader for Sophie Cunningham, who has so bravely put her head above the parapet to protect women and girls in our sports and in our locker rooms,” Amy Souza stated at the Portland rally. “I was an organizer of this event; I was a co-organizer of the Seattle event. I’m also here, standing in solidarity with those teen girls who, unfortunately, were harassed when they were just trying to be fans of the sport, fans of Sophie Cunningham.”
People in Portland rally to support Sophie Cunningham after her recent comments about transgender athletes. Cunningham stated Friday she has “had nothing to do with” the rallies but commended those “bold and courageous enough to speak their truths.” Craig Mitchelldyer/APCunningham was booed by the Moda Center crowd in Portland when she entered the game midway through the first quarter. Many waved small pink, blue and white transgender flags.The Fever downed the Fire 112-98 for their fifth straight win. Cunningham finished with 13 points, and Caitlin Clark had her fourth career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Coach Stephanie White stated she was concerned that the controversy was distracting from the team’s play.
“You know there is a frustration, of course, because we want to talk about basketball and we want to continue to work on our game and we want to continue to grow as a team,” White stated. “But I also understand this is part of our growth edge as a league, right? It’s part of our growth as a league, and we have to be able to manage, we have to be able to insulate as much as we can, and then we have to be able to lead with conversation.”
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