Sophie Cunningham and the cynical economics of the anti-trans athlete
Before this summer, the WNBA player Sophie Cunningham was probably most famous for her decision, in the waning seconds of a 2025 game, to more or less tackle an opponent who had poked the eye of her Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark. In the weeks that followed, Cunningham signed a bunch of endorsement deals and picked up more than a million new TikTok followers. She earned a second wave of…
Sophie Cunningham, a WNBA player, gained attention this season for her controversial stance on transgender athletes. While her decision to tackle an opponent who had poked the eye of her teammate garnered social media buzz, her views on biological women in sports took a more extreme turn. During a July interview, Cunningham stated, "I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men."
This quote, reminiscent of transphobic rhetoric, quickly led to her being embraced by anti-trans protesters at games. Cunningham's newfound celebrity status has allowed her to capitalize on the reactionary politics, securing endorsement deals and media appearances. However, not everyone sees her actions as beneficial. Former teammates have expressed discomfort with her conservative views, and some, like Cameron Brink, describe trans women in sports as a "nonissue" and dismiss Cunningham's stance as an attempt to target a vulnerable community.
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