Sophie Cunningham put herself in the center of one of the most polarizing issues in the WNBA after revealing her stance against the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports.
The Indiana Fever star, who has received plenty of support and equally vociferous backlash since making those comments, has responded by sending a strong message to her followers.
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Sophie Cunningham Tells Followers To ‘Be Nice’ Amid Trans-Athlete Drama
Cunningham sparked a fierce debate on whether trans athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sports with her comments on the issue last month.
The topic has become a highly-debated issue in the weeks since, and fans have also rallied outside WNBA arenas, both in support of and against Cunningham’s stance.
Amid this ongoing debate, Cunningham is reminding her followers to be kind to one another and not let the “crazies” affect their thinking.
“The majority of humans are absolutely amazing. I don’t know why we let that 5-10% of people, who are kind of mean & negative, alter our brains, like, ‘People are bad and the world is crazy! There are some crazies, but the majority of us are great humans. Take care of one another & be nice,” Cunningham said on her Instagram story vlog.
Amid the controversy, Cunningham also called for the WNBA world to turn its attention back to basketball earlier this week.
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“WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball. And it’s like, what are we doing? The WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball. You can talk about other things, those are great stories, it shows fans who people outside of the court, but I think we gotta keep the main thing the main thing,” Cunningham said earlier this week.
Cunningham has been booed at arenas in Seattle, Portland, and Minnesota since making her views on the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports public. Several coaches have also opposed her stance, with Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve even sporting a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt when the two sides met on Sunday.
However, Cunningham has also received plenty of support from activists and fans alike. Xx-Xy Athletics founder and former gymnast Jennifer Sey organized a “Sophie Night” outside Target Center on Sunday, with right-wing activist and former swimmer Riley Gaines also attending the game.
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It will be interesting to see how the Indiana fans react to the comments, with tonight being the Fever‘s first game at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse since the All-Star Game. The Fever will face the Las Vegas Aces tonight with tip-off at 7 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
