Controversy Surrounds WNBA Star Sophie Cunningham Over Transgender Athlete Comments

Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham found herself in the spotlight for unexpected reasons on her birthday. Comments she made about transgender athletes in women’s sports have sparked a wave of online backlash.

Fans and sports analysts have voiced varying opinions on the matter. Notably, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve subtly criticized Cunningham by wearing a shirt that read “Trans Kids belong” during a recent game against the Fever.

The response to Cunningham’s comments exploded on social media. Although the WNBA has not taken any official action against her, she appears to have been banned from the WNBA subreddit. This forum operates independently from the league and prohibits the use of Cunningham’s name in any form, as reported by the New York Post.

We filter content based on Sophi because it tends to bring out trolls and people that aren’t fans of the W,

This statement was from a Reddit user’s direct message with a subreddit moderator, who stated that people could discuss Cunningham in other forums. When the user questioned this rule, they risked being banned from the group.

The situation suggests the WNBA may issue an official response soon. Recently, the team presidents met to review the league’s transgender eligibility policy. This meeting followed the announcements by two former male NBA players intending to enter the 2027 WNBA draft.