Sophie Cunningham speaks out on protecting girls from competing against 'biological men' - Fox News

What the report says

Fox News reported that Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham addressed the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports during an ESPN interview, saying she wants to support transgender people while also preserving sex-based competition for girls and women. Cunningham said criticism of her views has included claims that she is anti-trans, which she rejected, and she framed her position as an effort to pair compassion with what she sees as fairness and safety in locker rooms and sports.

According to the report, Cunningham said she does not see herself as aligned fully with one political side, adding that she agrees and disagrees with arguments across the spectrum. Fox described her as a prominent WNBA player and teammate of Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever, and said her profile has grown over the past year, including among conservative audiences.

The article also revisited a 2022 episode in which Cunningham reshared a post by CBS Sports host Josh Pate criticizing the participation of former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas on a women’s team. Fox reported that Cunningham later issued a statement saying she supported athletes of all backgrounds and hoped competition could be made fair for everyone.

Fox placed Cunningham’s remarks in the broader political and legal fight over transgender participation in women’s sports, citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court action that the outlet characterized as favorable to state laws limiting participation by transgender girls and women. The story also referenced Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and activist on the issue, who urged high-profile female athletes to speak publicly in support of the “Save Women’s Sports” movement.