“She Rises Above the Haters”: Riley Gaines Gives Sophie Cunningham Her Flowers After Fever Star Handles Toronto Boos With Class

Sophie Cunningham met with the crowd boos when she took the floor against the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum. However, that didn’t deter her or the Indiana Fever from their path. And right-wing activist Riley Gaines, an anti-trans crusader who has supported Cunningham, hailed the Fever guard/forward’s response to the postgame media question about boos.

Cunningham has drawn major support from right-wing personalities after she spoke in support of the protection of women’s sports. Her stance became the center of the WNBA eligibility concerns and conversations about transgender players in the league. When a media person asked Cunningham about the moment when the crowd booed her in the game, she said:

“The crowd was absolutely amazing. I think that’s what sports is all about. You’re going to get boos, and you’re going to get cheers.”

Gaines, a former swimmer, reshared Cunningham’s response on X on Wednesday and praised her for handling the media and criticism like a pro:

“And again, she rises above the haters with grace and kindness. We could all take a page from Sophie’s book.”