What to Know
It seems that the debate about transgender kids playing never really quiets. Someone new is always bringing it up, usually to make a bigoted and short-sighted comment. Despite what bigots will try to tell you, trans kids aren’t dominating sports. Especially not trans girls, who the uneducated believe are biological boys with the intention of beating girls and making locker rooms unsafe.
The latest professional athlete to spout this unfounded evidence is WNBA Sophie Cunningham, who plays for the Indiana Fever. After her latest comments about trans girls in sports, her teammate Caitlin Clark was asked to weigh in.
Reporters asked Caitlin Clark directly about her teammate’s statements.
Caitlin Clark dodges question on protecting women's sports.
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) August 2, 2026
"It's for the leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions." pic.twitter.com/LZSx91D4XX
Following the Indiana Fever’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2, 2026, Clark was questioned during the post-game press conference, People reported.
“I think it’s for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions,” she said. “Our focus is on basketball. That’s what we talk about and how we can get wins and obviously we didn’t do that tonight. So we need to find an area to improve in that way.”
The clip made its way to X, where one reporter accused her of dodging the question. However, many people defended her lack of a stance.
“Caitlin Clark is paid to win basketball games. Leave politics to the politicians,” one person wrote.
“She didn’t dodge, she just didn’t lower herself to their bs, she gave the most professional answer possible. Let the haters hate!” another person commented.
Sophie Cunningham made her feelings about trans kids in sports very clear.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” she told ESPN in July. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’”
“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.”
According to Cunningham, she’s a political moderate.
“I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides,” she said. “And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume.”
Days after the comments from Cunningham went viral, Seattle Storm player Stefanie Dolson made a statement of her own in response. Before playing the Fever on July 28, Dolson, who came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2016 according to People, was seen wearing a shirt that read “trans rights are human rights,” the outlet reported.
While Dolson didn’t make any comments directly, the Storm posted a picture of her in the shirt on their Instagram page with three talking emojis.
Fellow WNBA player Gabby Williams commented, “you dropped this 👑”
Dolson wasn’t the only one to take on Cunningham’s stance.
During the Fever’s August 2 game, fans were spotted in the stands wearing shirts that read “Trans kids belong in sports,” AP reported.
And they weren’t the only ones. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was seen wearing a light blue shirt that read “Trans kids belong,” the outlet reported.
Prior to the start of the game, Reeve and Sophie Cunningham were seen talking to each other midcourt. But when asked, Reeve didn’t disclose what the conversation entailed.
“Both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate,” she said. “There are some things that we have in common, and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it’s how you handle things. It was nice to be in person, for sure.”
According to the outlet, Cunningham was booed throughout the game.
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