“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans… And I’m like, ‘I never once said that. I am here to extend love. But… with that love is truth. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” – Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, July 21 ESPN interview
Sophie’s comments sparked energetic “We Love Sophie” rallies; boos from the stands; criticism from coaches; and even a public meltdown by Seattle Storm owner Celeste Keaton, who cursed at a pair of teenage Sophie fans, calling them “f---ing insane.”
Sophie never apologized, backtracked, or lost focus. Asked about the prospect that her comments might offend trans-identified athletes, she responded, there is “room to love everyone.” Then she pivoted away from the popular “What about the poor trans kids?” narrative and back to her priority: “I’m also there to love biological women, and I think that there are rights that need to be protected.”
Hi Friends, and welcome new subscribers! Hope you’re having a good summer. No ocean swimming for me this week; the jellyfish in Delaware are winning. Here’s hoping a storm will sweep them out to sea soon.
See how this is playing out differently? The social penalty for pro-female speech is not gone, but it’s disappearing. It can be refuted or ignored. So far, none of Sophie’s teammates published accusations about “hateful attacks,” as Elizabeth Eddy’s soccer league did last fall when she wrote an article calling for sex screening. There’s no corporate or consumer backlash. Sophie’s new Adidas shoe sold out in less than an hour.
And the media is gradually becoming more receptive to feminist views. Newsweek featured a story by XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey. The Wall Street Journal published a story by ICONS co-founder Kim Jones.
Feminism and the Female Athlete
Just by being our brave, strong, competitive, powerful selves, female athletes make a feminist statement. No matter that we now have to remind everyone that men are stronger. We still contradict antiquated notions about female weakness and subservience. Because of that inherent challenge to male supremacy, we’ve always had opponents. Now we have new ones: lesbians.
When Lesbians Choose Allegiance to Trans Over Allegiance to Women
Celeste Keaton, Fever coach Stephanie White, and Minneapolis coach Cheryl Reeve are all in committed relationships with women. Why in the world are they not speaking up for women’s rights to female-only sports and locker rooms?
Watch the press conferences and you can see them get backed into LGBTQ corners. “As a member of the LGBTQ community, you…” reporters begin, implying that these women will betray their own tribes if they speak out for women’s rights. As if lesbians were not women. As if male demands must take precedence over all. Which, in LGBTQ World, they do.
The LGBTQ Fan Problem
Many WNBA stars are also openly gay — and yay for that. When I came out while playing Stanford basketball in 1975, I thought we’d get here faster, but at least we’re here now. But the fan base is pro-LGBTQ now, which is different. The WNBA welcomes them with Pride Nights and flags, but you can’t support all the letters in LGBTQ and also support women’s needs for female-only sports and spaces.
I’m one of many lesbians now divorced from the TQ folks. Their demands conflict with women’s rights. I side with women. I hope the WNBA coaches eventually do, too.
LGBTQ activists show their true colors at a Portland rally organized by Amy Sousa, MA Depth Psychology, right. All their arguments about “born in the wrong body” and lower testosterone and how we’re all bigots have failed. Here’s what they think of women:
Sophia: The Greek Word for Wisdom
Enter Sophie. Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom. Sophie Cunningham is demonstrating the kind of wisdom this movement needs right now: the ability to remain calm under pressure and to repeat obvious truths without malice.
When challenged in a press conference after the ESPN interview, Sophie elaborated, “I said what I said. It’s… common sense. I think it’s really important to protect children, and little girls… are… in that category.”
When Celeste Keaton verbally assaulted the two teenage girls, which led to a fine and suspension, Sophie praised the girls and promised to send them gifts.
When Sophie’s own coach, Stephanie White, complained about the “frustration” of being asked to comment on Sophie’s views, and hid behind “I’m not educated enough” and “I don’t ever believe exclusion is ever an answer,” Sophie chided, “I think this is a great opportunity for the WNBA. You know, they preach diversity and being inclusive. So, what a great opportunity for them to actually be that.” Meaning: Include women by securing their rights to female-only sports and spaces.
Like the kid who saw that the emperor wore no clothes, girls are seeing right through adult pretenses — and celebrating Sophie in droves.
“Honestly, it was so inspiring as a young female athlete to see someone who’s succeeded in her sport say, ‘Yes, this isn’t fair, and I’m going to say it in the most loving, respectful way I can,” said Alexa Anderson, a teenager from Oregon who attended one of several rallies in support of Sophie. Alexa and a teammate protested a male in their state track meet by stepping off the girls’ winners’ podium when he stepped on. Their lawsuit is underway.
Addressing Coach White’s absurd statement about not being “educated enough” to sort out whether “biological men” (men) belong in women’s sports, here’s Ahnaleigh Wilson, one of the teens who was called “f---ing insane” by owner Keaton. Ahnaleigh lost to a boy in a Washington state track final at age fourteen and was told by adults that if he kills himself, it will be her fault.
“I may only be 17, but I am educated enough to know that girls deserve their own sports.”
And here’s Ella Frei, a Wisconsin athlete who got bullied and harassed, even by teachers, for objecting to a boy on her teams and in her locker room.
“Boys in girls’ bathrooms is not inclusion – it’s a violation. I’m just seventeen years old, and I’m educated enough to understand the differences between males & females. Girls know the truth.”
With love is truth.
Thoughts? I’m always curious.
A lifelong athlete and feminist, Mariah Burton Nelson is the author of hundreds of articles and seven nonfiction books, including The Stronger Women Get, The More Men Love Football — and, since 2024, this Stronger Women column.
It's jarring to have lesbians committed to centring trans advocacy and male athletes in a women's league. Eligibility for the WNBA in Collective Bargaining Agreement specifies that it is for women, but coaches and players (with honourable exception of Sophie Cunningham) have been giving TWAW inclusion spiels, or ducking the question with word salads.
Inclusion of male athletes in female sporting categories inevitably means exclusion for girls and women, but the tribalism of queer orthodoxy makes this truth unspeakable:
"But a league with a large population of queer players and fans has a different level of comfort when it comes to opinions that favor the exclusion of LGBTQ+ community members."
"The WNBA has an opportunity to show some leadership and take control of a conversation that is being overtaken by outside actors. While allowed, there is no reason for WNBA games to be the site of demonstrations that espouse anything but inclusion."
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7492126/2026/08/04/reeve-cunningham-transgender-comments-no-offseason/?unlocked_article_code=1.3FA.MnDU.3gZO6Jl1jQjF&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
It is a shame to see this, though heartening to see all the progress that has been made. We had dinner with a lesbian friend this week. A year ago or so, our friend, like most of our friends, had little to no information about what was happening in women's sports (or to women's rights and boundaries generally). Now, without any prompting, she advised she was not at all happy with the way LGB is being tied to TQ, that one has nothing to do with the other.
Which is to say, while we can't let down our guard, we are winning: we are winning because we have BOTH love and truth on our side and, importantly, because women like you and all at WSPWG have stood tall and have not wavered on either count. You are a constant inspiration to me and so many others. (And I hope the jellyfish move off shore so you can resume ocean swimming soon!)