Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sophie Cunningham Doubles Down After Reporters Heatedly Grilled The Star Player Over Her Transgender Comments [VIDEO]
TOTALPROSPORTS ^ | July 23, 2026

Posted on 07/23/2026 11:13:09 AM PDT by nickcarraway

Sophie Cunningham doubles down on her transgender stance.

A recent press conference appearance by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham quickly drew widespread attention. The prominent professional basketball player faced intense questioning following her transgender comments.

Several aggressive media members heavily questioned her regarding controversial opinions on biological divisions.

Sports Reporters Confront Sophie Cunningham Over Divisive Stance

Before Wednesday night’s game against the Connecticut Sun, Cunningham addressed the comments she made in ESPN’s profile. Cunningham was asked about her political views and the “MAGA Barbie” nickname she has been given by some fans.

“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.”

Despite these controversial remarks, Sophie Cunningham insisted that her political beliefs are “very much in the middle.”

“I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume,” she says.

Cunningham Doubles Down

The professional athlete refused to alter her original position despite facing immediate pushback from the media room. Specifically, the basketball star explicitly stated that her point of view relies heavily on simple common sense.

“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” Cunningham said via The Athletic.

“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.”

Sophie Cunningham was then asked whether she understood why some people might see her remarks as offensive toward transgender athletes. She responded by saying she does not “dislike anyone” and believes there is “room to love everyone.”

“But I’m also there to love biological women, and I think that there are rights that need to be protected,” Cunningham continued.

“And, like I said, I’m gonna stand true to that. I’ll never falter in my beliefs in that. But I have never once stated that I hated the trans community.”

“Everyone always is coming at it as a negative,” Cunningham added.

“Well, me coming out with that, there are so many people who are coming out with the positive, saying, ‘You know what? Finally, someone has said something.’ And I don’t really look at either side of those because I know whatever I say, I’m going to get hate and I’m going to get love, and if I’m going to live by the love, I’m gonna die by the hate, and that’s just not who I am. I beat to my own drum.”

Following Cunningham’s comments on Wednesday, the Fever went out and beat the Connecticut Sun. Sophie Cunningham scored 8 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in 21 minutes of play. She came off the bench and went 0-for-3 from the field, but shot a perfect 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.


TOPICS: Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: dnctrollsonfr; mediawingofthednc; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; sophiecunningham; transgender; wnba; women
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-46 next last
To: Dahoser

Apparently, they also don’t notice no trans in the WNBA either.


21 posted on 07/23/2026 11:51:33 AM PDT by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: for-q-clinton

....The professional athlete refused to alter her original position despite facing immediate pushback from the media room....

Why is the media room the only ones complaining??


22 posted on 07/23/2026 11:51:52 AM PDT by Steven Tyler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Texas Eagle

That’s their doublespeak for not apologizing and begging for forgiveness.


23 posted on 07/23/2026 11:52:27 AM PDT by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

“Reporters” are crazed activists and garbage human beings.


24 posted on 07/23/2026 11:56:16 AM PDT by Vision (“Our Democracy” means "Our Slush Fund." The Left is hate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

This is the "controversial" remark?

LOL!

25 posted on 07/23/2026 11:56:29 AM PDT by FreeReign
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: for-q-clinton

“Controversial” — no kidding. In what world is men not beating up women, stealing their scholarships, invading their private and personal spaces “Controversial”?

Freaking idiots.

God, I miss those days before we ever heard “trans” and all the creeps, weirdos, perverts and nut-jobs knew they had to stay out of sight.


26 posted on 07/23/2026 11:57:13 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Adder

I worked in sports communications for a long time. I spent a fair amount of time around sports writers. There not a group of more inane wannabe novelists in the world. They spent their youth wishing they could play varsity sports and then their adulthood trying to tear down those who could.

Spending time around them, game after game, it becomes maddening listening to them try to find something interesting to write about. I used to say to them, “It’s a game dude. The same game as it was yesterday. And unless the rules change, it will be the same game tomorrow.”


27 posted on 07/23/2026 11:57:35 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: crusty old prospector

No she’s not. She was asked a question, and answered it like any other sane person would.


28 posted on 07/23/2026 12:02:56 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: packrat35
Apparently, they also don’t notice no trans in the WNBA either.

Well, some speculate that Brittney Griner is a male. There are pics of "her" topless. Looks like a dude.

29 posted on 07/23/2026 12:10:56 PM PDT by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Re: "She shot a perfect 8-for-10 from the free-throw line."

I thought 10-for-10 was perfect?

30 posted on 07/23/2026 12:25:21 PM PDT by zeestephen (2024 Trump Landslide - Kamala Harris Lost By 230,000 Votes In WI, MI, and PA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Don’t even know why this is news. The poor “aggrieved community” might dwindle if the media stopped covering their hackneyed and boring tantrums.


31 posted on 07/23/2026 12:25:23 PM PDT by DPMD (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen
Well, she shot much better than Shaquille O'Neal ever could and he's in the NBA Hall of Fame.

They claim women aren't as good basketball players as men, but Caitlyn Clark and Cunningham can shoot them way better than him.

The WNBA free throw line is the same as the NBA, but I think the basket is a little lower.

32 posted on 07/23/2026 12:34:10 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

“refused to alter her original position despite facing immediate pushback from the media room”

Who the F do those reporters think they are?
Arbiters of public opinion?

The bastards are there to ask questions, not direct opinion.


33 posted on 07/23/2026 12:57:11 PM PDT by doorgunner69
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

Math is hard for liberals.


34 posted on 07/23/2026 12:59:24 PM PDT by doorgunner69
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: IYAS9YAS

Maybe so, but they don’t promote it. Notice they don’t brag about having trans in the WNBA.


35 posted on 07/23/2026 1:14:07 PM PDT by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

That’s white supremacy talk. Guilty On the first count, high and non-racially weighted standards, and the second count, using math.


36 posted on 07/23/2026 1:32:34 PM PDT by takebackaustin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

The Emperor has no clothes. Take that Rainbow Mafia.


37 posted on 07/23/2026 1:34:48 PM PDT by bray (Thank God for Israel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
She came off the bench and went 0-for-3 from the field, but shot a perfect 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.

If we didn’t already think this author is a moron with an agenda for calling Sophie’s comments “controversial,” saying she shot a “perfect 8-for-10” from the free-throw line didn’t help. Not sure what she thinks “perfect” means. 🤷‍♀️

38 posted on 07/23/2026 2:38:20 PM PDT by TXBlair (Temp tagline: Je suis Charlie. 9.10.25 May the good Lord receive and embrace you, Mr. Kirk.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

A perfect 8 for 10 free throw shooting. The mediot shows how much she cares about BB.


39 posted on 07/23/2026 2:43:42 PM PDT by bray (Thank God for Israel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I’m in love.


40 posted on 07/23/2026 2:48:58 PM PDT by karnage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-46 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson