Sophie Cunningham doubles up defending girls’ sport
Indiana Fever basketball star Sophie Cunningham is boldly reiterating her stance on protecting girls’ sports, stressing that it’s “common sense” to protect young children. The White House also weighed in and defended Cunningham’s comments.
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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham received support Friday from Sen. Darline Graham, RS.C., after the WNBA player this week doubled down on her comments that keeping biological males out of women’s sports is “common sense.”
In a statement released Friday, Graham thanked Cunningham for speaking publicly about the issue.
“I want to thank Sophie Cunningham for speaking up and making it clear that I couldn’t agree more,” Graham said.
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Sophie Cunningham speaks to members of the media at Player 15 HQ in Phoenix on September 26, 2024. (Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“What she said took a lot of courage. It’s sad but true that in today’s world, and especially on this issue, common sense is not common.”
Graham, who described herself as a “volleyball mom,” said she knows “how dangerous it is to have boys play girls’ sports” after years of traveling with her daughter’s teams throughout South Carolina and the Southeast.
She also mentioned a North Carolina high school volleyball player who was seriously injured after being hit by a transgender athlete.
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Late. Darline Graham Nordone, RS.C., attends a ceremonial swearing-in in the Old Senate Chamber of the US Capitol on July 14 in Washington, DC. (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
“As a mother, thank you to Miss Cunningham for speaking up,” Graham said. “I really appreciate you adding your voice to this important debate. Our daughters will be the ones to benefit from your words and voice.”
Cunningham reiterated his stance Wednesday before the Fever’s 123-88 win over the Connecticut Sun after first making the remarks in an ESPN profile earlier this week.
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” Cunningham told reporters. “And I think I’ll always believe that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and it’s little girls that are involved in that category as well. I stand by what I said.”
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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham plays in the second half against the Los Angeles Sparks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 27, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
Cunningham also said she believes protecting women’s sports is consistent with the intent of Title IX and maintained that her comments were not directed at transgender people.
“But I’m also there to love biological women, and I think there are rights that need to be protected,” Cunningham said. “And like I said, I’ll stand by that. I’ll never waver in my belief in that. But I’ve never once said that I hated the trans community.”
The Indiana Fever later released a statement saying Cunningham’s views are her own.
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“Our players are thoughtful adults with their own perspectives and voices, and those views are their own,” the team said. “We are committed to welcoming fans from all backgrounds and treating everyone with respect, and that is what guides us as an organization.”
The debate about transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports has become a big topic in recent years. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2025 aimed at barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, while the Supreme Court recently allowed state laws limiting the participation of transgender athletes to remain in place while legal challenges continue.
