Sophie Cunningham told ESPN she wants to keep men out of women's sports. Now leftists are clamoring online about her transphobia, and others are making it about race. Sophie Cunningham, teammate of Caitlin Clark, has gone viral for the meme of her pointing finger and her rough-around-the-edges play. She was recently featured in an ESPN profile about her unwaveringly tough personality on and off the court, which also addressed her stance on men in women's sports. She is now being "canceled" by the left, and was peculiarly left out of a WNBA event.
When addressing critics who call her a "MAGA Barbie," she says that's "projection," because of her appearance and upbringing. She does, however, feel obligated to speak on the issue of men participating in women's sports, which was recently struck down by the courts. "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," Cunningham said. That one line right there was enough to get her canceled by the left, but if you read her story, you know she could not care less.
Sophie Cunningham is unafraid. Unafraid to be blatantly transphobic.
— Roberta 🏳️🌈 (@robertawbb) July 21, 2026
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men.”
Her own words. In an ESPN article.https://t.co/akyv3UnSSl
The author of the post was sure to provide clarification in the comments section, saying, "To the uneducated bigots in the comments and quotes: transphobia includes invalidating a trans person’s identity. Additionally, female assigned at birth people who identify as non-binary and don’t transition are also trans." Right, it all makes sense now...
Sadly for this person, nothing jumpstarts an alliance with the conservative media quite like being called transphobic. Now, Cunningham is being praised by the right all over the internet, with many using the slogan, "In a world full of Megan Rapinoe's, be a Sophie Cunningham." Megan Rapinoe is the infamous former Team USA women's soccer player who is a known advocate for men in women's sports.
In a world full of Megan Rapinoes, be a Sophie Cunningham pic.twitter.com/PvL8X0Y8h1
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) July 22, 2026
In a world full of Megan Rapinoes, be a Sophie Cunningham pic.twitter.com/rNwZWirt9f
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) July 22, 2026
The piece also attempted to pin Cunningham's charisma on her whiteness. The article quotes Ketra Armstrong, a professor of sport management and director of the Center for Race & Ethnicity in Sport at the University of Michigan, who implies that Cunningham's race and looks are responsible for her fame. She says that Black female athletes are treated as violent when they are aggressive and don't receive the same opportunities or praise. Cunningham declined to comment on the role of race in the public perception of her rise.
Aside from Cunningham's "loud-mouth, sassy, take s**t from no one" personality, she is an elite shooter. Cunningham is currently shooting a career-high 43.7 percent from behind the arc, putting her in the top 5 in three-point shooting percentages across the league. Still, though, the WNBA bites the hand that feeds them. Cunningham was snubbed of an invite to the three-point shooting contest, despite being one of the league's best. In a now-deleted post, Cunningham responded to an analyst's post pointing out the snub, saying "sooo what else is new with everyone?"
While Cunningham clearly says that she is politically "very much in the middle," the left will undoubtedly blacklist her for speaking out against men in women's sports. The hunch is that many female athletes feel the same, but might be too afraid to speak on it for fear of the retaliation. Luckily for Cunningham, that's never been who she is. She will continue to be herself, unashamedly, defending herself and her teammates on and off the court no matter what the cost.