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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) celebrates scoring Thursday, June 18, 2026, during the first half of a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Seattle Storm, several fans gathered outside of the arena to rally in support of Fever guard Sophie Cunningham after she made some controversial comments against transgender women competing in women’s sports. Now, it sounds like a second rally is planned.
The Fever are set to take on the Portland Fire on Friday night, continuing their West Coast road trip. According to a report, there will be another rally in support of Cunningham outside of that game, as well.
Cunningham Speaks Out Against Trans Athletes
During a recent interview for a profile with ESPN, Cunningham was asked about the “MAGA Barbie” nickname she has recently been given as a result of some assumptions that people have made about her political beliefs.
While Cunningham said that the nickname is more projection than reality and seemingly comes from the fact that she is a white girl from Missouri, she did go on to speak out on how to “protect women’s sports.”
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she told ESPN. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Cunningham then doubled down on this stance a few days later.
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” Cunningham said earlier this week. “And I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said.”
Cunningham took a stand on the issue directly a third time in a post on X as she addressed a recent incident after two teenage girls claimed that they were verbally berated by a Seattle Storm co-owner, who has since been suspended.
“I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind,” Cunningham wrote in a post on X. “Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You’ll be hearing from me soon yay for gifts. Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is.”
Sophie Cunningham Rally
Before Tuesday night’s game, fans and activists held a rally where they expressed their support of Cunningham and opposition to transgender athletes with signs and shirts.
After the game, WNBA reporter Roberta Rodrigues asked Fever head coach Stephanie White, who is in a same-sex marriage, about the rally and Cunningham’s comments.
“Coach, there was a rally before the game, an anti-trans rally before the game, inspired by Sophie Cunningham,” Rodrigues began. “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, how did you receive her comments and the way it ignited the right-wing and anti-trans supporters? And for the players, have you had conversations in the locker room about it?”
White, however, did not answer the question. Instead, a team spokesperson read a prepared statement.
“I’ll jump in on that. We do have an organizational statement I’ll read. Um, so neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers. Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united on that mission.”
A Second Rally
The rally became a focal point of Tuesday night’s game rather than the actual contest on the court, and it sounds like another rally will take place on Friday.
“A second Sophie Cunningham rally has been planned for tomorrow night’s Indiana Fever game in Portland against the Fire, an organizer has told me,” wrote Jackson Thompson of Fox News.
Thompson shared a flyer for the rally, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. outside of The Moda Center in Portland, which urged supporters to “keep the momentum going.”
Neither Cunningham nor the Fever have directly affirmed or condemned these rallies.
The post ‘Let’s keep the momentum going’: Another Sophie Cunningham rally moves forward appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.
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