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Sophie Cunningham
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NEED TO KNOW
- Sophie Cunningham criticized a Seattle Storm co-owner who was suspended after reportedly swearing at two teenage fans who brought signs expressing support for the WNBA’ players’ anti-transgender beliefs
- Cunningham called Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton’s behavior “truly embarrassing”
- The incident comes amid a divisive reaction to Cunningham’s comments in a recent ESPN article expressing support for anti-transgender policies in women’s sports
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham lashed out at a WNBA executive who was suspended this week for cussing at a group of fans who brought signs expressing support for the basketball player’s recent anti-transgender comments.
The fallout follows Tuesday night’s game between the Fever and the Seattle Storm, prior to which a group of fans gathered outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena for a demonstration in support of Cunningham’s recent anti-transgender comments in an ESPN interview.
The Seattle Times, ESPN, and Yahoo! Sports reported that Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton later cussed out two teenage fans who were sitting courtside during the game and held up a sign that read, “Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls.”
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A fan holds up a sign in support of Sophie Cunningham’s anti-transgender comments made in a recent ESPN interview
Credit: AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson
The Storm later apologized for the incident, while the Times reported that Keaton had been suspended from the team’s next five home games and fined an “undisclosed amount” of money as a result.
“We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game,” the team’s majority owner Ginny Gilder said in a statement, according to the newspaper. “We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”
Cunningham, 29, later took to social media to admonish Keaton and promised to send “gifts” to the two fans who brought the sign to Tuesday night’s game.
“I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY,” the Fever guard wrote in a social media post responding to the news about Keaton’s suspension on Wednesday night. “Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind. Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe.”
Cunningham added: “You’ll be hearing from me soon. Yay for gifts. Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately, shows the type of leader she is.”
The incident comes amid a divisive response to Cunningham’s anti-transgender comments to ESPN in a feature about her character and career last week.
Responding to why some WNBA fans refer to her as “MAGA Barbie,” Cunningham acknowledged during the interview that she gets “a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans.”
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Sophie Cunningham
Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty
“And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’ ” Cunningham said before voicing support for anti-transgender policies in women’s sports.
“I think that I am here to extend love,” she then added. “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.”
The comments drew a split reaction around the league. ESPN reported that while dozens gathered outside before the game to support Cunningham’s comments, she was later booed throughout the game from the moment she checked onto the court.
Before the game, Storm center and WNBA veteran Stefanie Dolson posed for a pregame photoshoot wearing a t-shirt that read, “trans rights are human rights,” which her team later shared on social media — a post many viewed as an indirect response to Cunningham’s comments the week prior.
Cunningham and the Fever (18-10) return to the court Friday night for a road game against the Portland Fire.
Read the original article on People
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