Sophie Cunningham Faces Backlash and Defends Role in Women’s Sports
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham draws significant attention for her stance on women’s sports. Recent controversy arose after she defended her views, leading some to suggest the Indiana Fever release her.
Fox News contributor Kat Timpf, podcast host Kennedy, and Ainsley Earhardt discussed the situation. They noted that 80% of the public supports Cunningham’s views. During their discussion, they introduced a new episode of ‘The Girls’ podcast.
Sophie Cunningham had a direct response to calls for her release: “Suck it.”
Cunningham addressed criticisms on “No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen.” She remains unfazed by external opinions, stating, “I literally don’t even care what anyone says about me anymore. If you’re going to live by the praise, you’re going to die by the hate.”
The discussion follows an Oct. 6 column in The Athletic criticizing her outspoken nature. The column suggested that her views distract from the team’s priorities, calling her “too combustible.” As Cunningham approaches free agency, her opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports triggered rallies both supporting and opposing her stance.
Cunningham’s co-host Drew Hanlen labeled the column an “absolute hate piece” but focused his response on her basketball performance. Hanlen highlighted her impressive field goal percentage and her rank among top bench scorers and three-point shooters.
“A lot of teams would want a top-five bench scorer who is also a top-five three-point shooter,” Hanlen explained.
He criticized the article for undermining her basketball achievements, referencing her 60.8% effective field goal percentage.
Cunningham reaffirmed her commitment to her role beyond stats: “I know what I bring to the table. It’s not always in the stat sheet.”