The Sophie Cunningham discourse will reach another level this weekend.
Following a pre-game rally Tuesday backing Cunningham for her stance on trans athletes in women’s sports and two courtside fans in Seattle loudly supporting her that night, there will reportedly be another pair of rallies held outside Indiana games this weekend.
Cunningham made waves when, in a recent ESPN profile, she expressed her desire to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Those comments led to a recent demonstration outside of a Fever game, and Fox News reported there are rallies planned in Portland and Minneapolis this weekend.
The Portland protest will reportedly occur at 5:30 p.m. outside of the Moda Center on Friday, before the Fire and Fever play later that night.
Another protest has been planned for the Fever’s road matinee against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.
Earlier this week, the conversation around Cunningham’s views become even more heated when Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton allegedly called a pair of teen girls “f–king insane” for their opposition to trans women in women’s sports.
The girls were wearing shirts from XX-XY Athletics, a company aiming to “protect women’s sports,” and were seemingly sent to the game by a donor.
One of them also held up a poster which read: “Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls!”
XX-XY is also behind the Minnesota rally this weekend.
For her remarks toward the girls, the WNBA suspended Keaton for five home games and also fined her an undisclosed amount.
Following the game, Cunningham took to social media to address the incident.
“I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men,” she said. “Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind.
“Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe,” she added. “You’ll be hearing from me soon. yay for gifts. Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is.”
The rallies in Portland and Minneapolis will come after there was a demonstration prior to Indiana’s 105-95 win in Seattle.
Following a win over the Storm, the Fever said it nor Sophie had “any knowledge” of the pregame demonstration, and Cunningham and teammate Caitlin Clark were not made available for comment.
