First, Sophie Cunningham dished out common sense on the subject of men playing in women’s sports.
And then the public weighed in, making it clear that even if Cunningham made WNBA execs weak-kneed, the Indiana Fever guard certainly connected with fans, because on Friday morning, her shoes sold out within hours of their debut.
“There was buzz around the sneakers, but a near sell-out on release day seemed unlikely. But in less than 24 hours, the shoes have sold out at adidas,” Sports Illustrated reported.
you guys really showed up! nothing but genuine love for yall💕 https://t.co/2c4nLEeRna
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) July 24, 2026
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” Cunningham said in a video posted to X when asked about her position.
“And I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said, and I will always believe that,” she said.
“When it comes just to protecting women in sports and young girls in sports, I feel very strongly about that. I think that’s why you have Title IX,” she said, referring to the legislation requiring colleges that offer sports for men to offer them for women.
Sophie Cunningham gets grilled by WNBA reporters for saying men shouldn’t be able to play women’s sports. Refuses to back down. “I said what I said.” Eloquently defends women’s sports as woke reporters press her. Love all of this. Well done @sophaller. pic.twitter.com/kUjlt8ZZDH
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 23, 2026
“I extend love, and I don’t dislike anyone,” she told another media questioner. “I think there’s room for absolutely everyone here, and I think there’s room to love everyone.”
“I have never once said I hated the trans community,” she said.
In an interview with ESPN, she said her position is misunderstood.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she said.
“I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. 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,” she said.
Politically, she said, “I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume,” she said.
Cunningham “is a thousand percent right,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said Thursday, according to the New York Post.
“What if an NBA player decided to transition to playing in the WNBA?” Smith said. “How elite would they be? How great would they be? We gotta put stuff in its proper perspective and call it like it is.”
“I am a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community,” Smith added. “I believe in supporting people’s civil rights and civil liberties come hell or high water. To the end. But you also gotta look out for everybody else. You can’t look out for a trans athlete at the expense of biological women. What did they do?”
Sophie Cunningham Said What Others Are AFRAID to Say!
My Full Take in the Comments. pic.twitter.com/dsiXtxNwyE
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 23, 2026
“We live in a society where people got scared. They got scared to say these things. We’ve got to stop that. Every truth ain’t meant to be told … but it ain’t meant to be hidden either,” he said. “You can’t have a society where we’re ignoring the clear unfairness of a male transitioning to female and competing in their sports. It is clearly unfair to women. Sophie Cunningham is a thousand percent right!”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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