After Sophie Cunningham Speaks Up For Girls, The WNBA Speaks Up For Delusion

Fever is spreading in the WNBA.

The fever that is the woke-mind virus, that is.

Since Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham fearlessly spoke about protecting “young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in an ESPN story, some WNBA coaches and fans have become unhinged at Cunningham’s comments and the deluge of support she’s receiving from fans.

After Cunningham was raked over the coals by the media for her commonsense view, two young girls attending a WNBA game wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts in support of Sophie were subjected to intense harassment by a WNBA team co-owner. Fans even cussed them out. That team co-owner was rightfully fined and suspended for five games by the league.

Then, coach after coach in the WNBA has exposed just how out of touch they are with fairness in women’s sports. Fever coach Stephanie White said, “I don’t know that I would say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint. I don’t ever believe that exclusion is the answer.” Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt in a game against the Fever. Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said, “I’m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that includes trans women. So I’m all about inclusivity.”

The Babylon Bee perhaps said it best: “WNBA Coaches Stumped as to What the ‘W’ Stands For.”

This controversy in the WNBA points to the larger issue at hand: biological women’s safety and fairness in sport are at risk when there are no policies to protect them.

Concerned Women for America has called on the WNBA to adopt a policy that clarifies only biological women can play basketball in the league. The WNBA needs to stand behind biological female players and ensure that it will not subject any players or fans to viewpoint discrimination.

Ultimately, the WNBA needs to look in the mirror and do some soul-searching about what it stands for – fairness in women’s sports or not?

One would think this need not be defined, but this is 2026, after all.

Activism in the WNBA has poisoned the league for years. But a new generation of athletes is being inspired by Sophie Cunningham’s courage. It’s time for the WNBA to defend them, not the activism that defends biological males stealing their opportunities.

The WNBA is far from the only sports governing body that needs to protect biological females from competing against trans-identifying men. The NCAA, USOPC, USA Volleyball, USA Cycling, USA Rowing, USA Ultimate, and USA Gymnastics all need to adopt clear policies that participation in the women’s category is for natal females only and to enforce a policy for all athletes.

For the record, it is not transphobic to insist on women’s sports being for biological women only. It is no secret that science, biology, and common sense show the unfair advantage biological male athletes have against female athletes. Women and girls have lost the podium, scholarships, prize money, and medals due to competition from trans-identifying men.

Congress is rightfully getting involved. Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s “No Goodwill for Harming Women Act” proposes financial penalties for professional franchises allowing biological men in women’s sports. Congress should also pass the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act” and the “Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.”

With midterms underway, candidates must support biological female athletes — the issue will not go away until females are fully protected in sport.

A new CWA poll found that over 69% (69.3%) of Americans believe it is very or somewhat important in deciding who to vote for in this election that candidates oppose forcing female athletes to participate in sports and share locker rooms with biological boys/men identifying as girls/women.

It is an outrage that two young girls attending a WNBA game were harassed for supporting Sophie, who is unafraid to say what everyone is thinking and completely in tune with the spirit of sport.

To avoid further chaos, bias, and potential harm against WNBA players and their fans, the WNBA should immediately adopt a policy that establishes only biological women can play basketball in the league. That’s the only winning play.

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Penny Young Nance is CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, and author of 7 Rules for Success in Business and Life: A Woman’s Guide. https://concernedwomen.org/