Pro-trans WNBA coach explains on-court meeting with Sophie Cunningham as protestors clash in Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has opened up about her mid-court conversation with culture-war figure and Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham.
The two were spotted talking in Minneapolis before Minnesota beat Indiana 108-100 as much of the crowd booed Cunningham.
The 29-year-old has become a controversial figure within the NBA since voicing opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports last month. Reeve, meanwhile, entered the discussion on Sunday by wearing a ‘Trans kids belong’ t-shirt during the Lynx victory.
But prior to tip-off, the two were seen having a serious discussion, which Reeve touched upon after the win.
‘I think it’s great,’ Reeve said of the talk. ‘I think both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate. 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.’
Reeve stopped short of divulging their entire conversation in her post-game comments, but did speak before the game about her stance on the issue of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Sophie Cunningham (left) and Cheryl Reeve (right) have pre-game discussion on Sunday
Reeve wore a ‘Trans kids belong’ shirt during the game, which her team won, 108-100
A person holds a sign after comments made by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham
Cunningham supporters have been seen in Seattle, Portland and now Minneapolis
‘I come from a space of inclusion,’ said Reeve, who also serves as the Team USA coach. ‘The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women’s sports.
‘This is what’s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.’
The league does not have any transgender players who were assigned male at birth, nor have there ever been any such players in the WNBA. And while a few cases of transgender athletes at the NCAA level have made national news, trans student athletes are rare in the extreme. In 2024, NCAA president Charlie Baker estimated there were fewer than 10 competing at the time.
The tension on the sidelines carried over to the streets outside Target Center, where demonstrations turned chaotic ahead of tip-off in Minneapolis.
The tension on the sidelines carried over to the streets outside Target Center, where demonstrations turned chaotic ahead of tip-off in Minneapolis
Rallies organized outside the arena brought opposing groups face-to-face as supporters of Sophie Cunningham clashed directly with pro-trans demonstrators.
The situation quickly escalated into a physical altercation when a female Cunningham supporter was captured on video snatching a t-shirt out of the hands of a pro-trans demonstrator.
In response, a group of pro-trans protesters swarmed the woman, wrestling the shirt back from her grasp as shouting erupted between the two sides.
Target Center security guards and arena staff were forced to intervene immediately to separate the opposing factions and restore order before the clash could intensify.
The incident marks the third consecutive road game where the Indiana Fever have been met with demonstrations, following similar protests outside arenas in Seattle and Portland over Cunningham’s stance on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
The controversy comes during a turbulent stretch for the organization off the court, despite the Fever riding a five-game winning streak.
Rallies organized outside the arena brought opposing groups face-to-face as supporters of Sophie Cunningham clashed directly with pro-trans demonstrators
Cunningham has been at the center of a bitter trans debate over the past week after comments she made to ESPN that young girls ‘shouldn’t have to go against biological men’ when playing sports.
While the Fever forward has been supported by protestors outside various WNBA arenas over the past few days, the tide turned in Portland on Friday night when the 29-year-old was vociferously booed by the partisan home crowd.
On court, it appeared that she had called the fans ‘losers’ with a hand signal after scoring a 3-pointer, but Cunningham has since taken to social media to reveal what really happened.
Alongside a video of the moment, she noted: ‘I didn’t call them losers but I did talk s***.’
In a follow-up post, she then appeared to further stoke the flames by posting a video of herself with a finger to her lips, as if trying to quiet those booing her.
In another post, she shared a clip of the moment she handed a young fan her game-worn shoes as a thank you for supporting her.