‘I genuinely hate this organization:’ Fever spark outrage with statement on rally supporting Sophie Cunningham - Yahoo Sports

What the report says

The Comeback, in a story carried by Yahoo Sports, reported that the Indiana Fever’s 105-95 road win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday was overshadowed by controversy connected to guard Sophie Cunningham. The Fever earned their fourth straight victory at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, while All-Star Aaliyah Boston left in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

According to the report, a rally was held outside the arena in support of Cunningham after comments she made in an ESPN profile about “protecting women’s sports.” Cunningham said she had received criticism that she “hated trans” people, denied saying that, and said she wanted to protect young girls in sports and locker rooms from competing against “biological men.”

After the game, WNBA reporter Roberta Rodrigues asked Fever coach Stephanie White and players about the rally and Cunningham’s remarks, referencing White’s membership in the LGBTQ+ community. The Comeback reported that a Fever spokesperson intervened and read a prepared organizational statement, saying neither the team nor Cunningham knew about the demonstration or had contact with its organizers. The statement added that the team’s focus was winning games and building Fever fans.

The article said the response drew backlash online, with some fans criticizing the Fever and the league for not more directly denouncing the rally. The episode matters because it adds to an ongoing debate in women’s sports over transgender participation, athlete speech and how teams respond when political demonstrations form around players’ comments.