Ever since Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN feature that she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room,” the debate over transgender athletes competing in women’s sports has dominated headlines around the WNBA. But the conversation reached another level on Sunday when Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made her stance impossible to miss by wearing a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt during her team’s matchup against the Fever. And analyst Stephen A. Smith had a few things to say.
“You are Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx. That is an irresponsible thing to do,” Smith said on his Tuesday episode ofthe SiriusXM show.
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“You are a coach for a female basketball team. Do you not think that the females are being screwed over if they have to compete against an individual born as a male? What are you talking about??… That’s what Sophie Cunningham was talking about.”
In 3 straight games, Cunningham has been constantly booed by fans who opposed her POV, andthose who supported her began rallies to advocate for her stance. Her comments have ignited a national debate, and in the aftermath, we have seen commentary coming from the White House and a Seattle Storm Co-owner being suspended for five games.
However, Reeve believes that it “is problematic to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women’s sports.”
As per reports, there is no active transgender player in the WNBA, and the league’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The agreement further does not define the term “woman,” and there is no publicly available league policy governing transgender or intersex player eligibility.
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Now, for what it’s worth, despite the backlash over her comments, Sophie Cunningham has made it clear she has no intention of backing away.
“I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not going to like shadow that or hide or dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that,” the Fever guard said.
And that mindset was on display again against the Lynx. Before tipoff, Cunningham shared what appeared to be a respectful conversation with Reeve at midcourt despite their differing views.
“I think both of us understand that we have platforms. And we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate. and there are some things that we have in common and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. And I think it’s how you handle things. And so it was nice to be in person, for sure,” Reeve reflected on the conversation in a post-game conference in a clip shared by FOX9.
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While Sophie Cunningham and Reeve showed that people with opposing viewpoints can still share a respectful conversation, the broader debate surrounding transgender participation in women’s sports continues to grow well beyond the court. With public figures, politicians, media personalities and fans all weighing in, the discussion shows little sign of fading anytime soon.
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