{"id":5859,"date":"2026-08-01T06:37:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T06:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5859"},"modified":"2026-08-01T06:37:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T06:37:45","slug":"sophie-cunningham-booed-by-portland-fans-as-trans-athlete-controversy-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5859","title":{"rendered":"Sophie Cunningham booed by Portland fans as trans athlete controversy continues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Fire fans didn\u2019t offer a warm welcome to Sophie Cunningham.<\/p>\n

The Indiana star was booed by fans during the Fever\u2019s 112-98 win over the Fire at the Moda Center on Friday night in Portland as fallout over her comments regarding trans athletes continues.<\/p>\n

Read more Slipknot\u2019s Sid Wilson fired from band after nearly 30 years: report<\/a><\/p>\n

Cunningham scored 13 points off the bench while Caitlin Clark scored a team-high 26 points.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Cunningham made waves for saying she wants to \u201cprotect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn\u2019t have to go against biological men\u201d in an ESPN profile.<\/p>\n

The discourse around the quote was amped up when a pair of young fans, wearing apparel from XX-XY Athletics and holding signs supporting the 29-year-old guard sitting courtside for a game in Seattle were allegedly called \u201cf\u2013king insane\u201d by Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton.<\/p>\n

One of the fans was reportedly left in tears following the encounter.<\/p>\n

Keaton was suspended for five home games and fined an undisclosed amount by the WNBA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think at the end of the day, I come in and I do my job,\u201d Cunningham said before the Fever\u2019s win. \u201cI think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I\u2019m full of love. I\u2019m bubbly. I love the people around me. I love basketball. I love inspiring the next generation and doing that in a positive light. And so that doesn\u2019t even cross my mind. Doesn\u2019t cross my teammates\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd again, I\u2019m here to play basketball, but I\u2019m also here to be me, and I\u2019m not gonna like shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don\u2019t agree with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney reaches plea deal month before murder trial for boyfriend\u2019s stabbing death<\/a><\/p>\n

Ahead of Friday\u2019s game, activist Amy Sousa led a rally in support of Cunningham after having organized one before the Seattle matchup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just going to do something quiet with just a couple of us, and seeing what happened to those girls, we just thought, \u2018We can\u2019t be quiet,\u2019\u201d Sousa told Fox News Digital. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be quiet about this. I want to stand in public solidarity with those girls. I also want to stand in public solidarity with Sophie and keep this momentum going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

XX-XY Athletics founder and former US gymnast Jennifer Sey plans to hold a rally in support of Cunningham before the Fever\u2019s game in Minnesota on Saturday, Fox News also reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have honestly had nothing to do with them,\u201d Cunningham said, referring to the protests. \u201cI think it\u2019s people just practicing their rights of freedom of speech and doing what other fans have been doing since the WNBA has started. And so props to them, props to everyone who is able to be competent and be bold and courageous enough to to speak their truths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cunningham is no stranger to making headlines as the on-court protector for star Caitlin Clark, and went viral earlier this season for a finger-pointing meme.<\/p>\n

Read more Exclusive | Gavin Newsom\u2019s sneaky tax return \u2018release\u2019 sparks outrage<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 with AP<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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