08/02/26 03:26:00
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08/02 15:24 CDT Rallies surround Fever-Lynx game after Sophie Cunningham's
stance on transgender athletes
Rallies surround Fever-Lynx game after Sophie Cunningham's stance on
transgender athletes
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --- A crowd of critics and supporters of Indiana guard Sophie
Cunningham's stance on transgender participation in women's sports gathered
around and inside Target Center on Sunday as the Fever faced the Lynx in
Minnesota.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a light blue shirt under her jacket that said,
"Trans kids belong" as she directed her team --- the top team in the WNBA ---
to a 108-100 win over the Fever. There were fans in the stands wearing T-shirts
that read, "Trans kids belong in sports."
It's the third straight Fever game that drew a rally after Cunningham recently
voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls' and women's
sports in an ESPN article published last week.
Before the contest, Cunningham and Reeve held a conversation at midcourt. Reeve
didn't want to share the exact nature of their talk.
"Both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting
to, more than anything, educate," Reeve said. "There are some things that we
have in common, and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I
think it's how you handle things. It was nice to be in person, for sure."
Cunningham was booed by the crowd on her first touch of the game and throughout.
Outside the arena, dozens of fans gathered near the entrance. A person using a
loud speaker repeated over and over, "Protect trans women." There were signs
held up that read, "Love is truth" and "Thank you Sophie."
Asked how she and the team are navigating the outside conversations, Caitlin
Clark said after the game, "I think we're excellent.
"I think it's for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to
find solutions," Clark said. "Our focus is on basketball. That's what we talk
about and how we can get wins and obviously we didn't do that tonight. So we
need to find an area to improve in that way."
Any reaction?
"I just answered," Clark said.
Cunningham said Friday in Portland that she wasn't concerned about rallies
against transgender participation in women's sports becoming a distraction for
the Fever.
"I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I'm full of love. I'm
bubbly. I love the people around me," Cunningham said Friday. "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."
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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