Sophie Cunningham’s opinion helped create a spectacle. The WNBA should be thanking her
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham has sparked controversy by publicly sharing her views on transgender participation in women's sports. The resulting public discourse has turned her into a polarizing figure in the ongoing culture war.
Why it matters
The article examines how professional athletes are increasingly leveraging political stances to build personal brands and the subsequent impact on sports culture.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, right, shown with teammate Caitlin Clark, shared her opinion on transgender participation in women's sport in a recent interview with ESPN. Rallies were held in support and condemnation of Cunningham ahead of the team's subsequent road games. Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press
So far, Sophie Cunningham’s Culture War Pop-Up has been a big hit in three cities. It rolls through Toronto in two weeks.
It started in Seattle, shortly after ESPN published a lavish profile of the WNBA star. In it, Cunningham fired up the publicity generator that is any discussion of transgender participation in women’s sport.
She did it the new woo-woo way – she wants to “extend love,” but she also wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in