Sunday night's game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever at Target Center was played against a backdrop of protest, with supporters and critics of Sophie Cunningham's stance on transgender participation in women's sports gathering around and inside the arena. On the court, the Lynx, the WNBA's top team, beat the Fever 108-100.
It was the third straight Fever game to draw a rally since Cunningham, the Indiana guard, voiced support in an ESPN article last week for barring transgender girls and women from girls' and women's sports.
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made her position visible from the bench, wearing a light blue shirt under her jacket that read "Trans kids belong" as she directed her team to victory. In the stands, fans wore T-shirts reading "Trans kids belong in sports".
Before the contest, Cunningham and Reeve shared a conversation at midcourt. Reeve declined to reveal what was said. "Both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate", Reeve 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".
Outside the arena, dozens of fans gathered near the entrance as a person using a loudspeaker repeatedly chanted "Protect trans women". Signs held aloft read "Love is truth" and "Thank you Sophie".
Indiana star Caitlin Clark, asked how the team is navigating the outside conversations, kept the focus on basketball. "I think it’s for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions", Clark said. "Our focus is on basketball".
Cunningham said Friday in Portland that she was not concerned about the rallies becoming a distraction. "I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I’m full of love", she said. "I love basketball. I love inspiring the next generation".
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