Sophie Cunningham told the WNBA establishment to take her comments and leave. The Indiana Fever guard responded directly to a column arguing she should be cut from the team. She did not mince words about what she thinks of the critics. Her stance on biological women in sports remains firm despite the backlash.
Candace Buckner wrote a piece for The Athletic claiming the Fever should not re-sign Cunningham. The writer called the guard “too combustible” and “too turbulent” to play alongside Caitlin Clark. Buckner argued that the season became about a bench player with big opinions instead of the team. Cunningham rejected this narrative with a single, sharp phrase.
The Columnist’s Attack
The attack on Cunningham came from a sports writer who has never played professionally. Buckner suggested the team should follow rivals who clash with forces trying to hijack the league. The columnist stated that if the Fever ever wish to return to being a basketball team and mimic rivals who openly clash with forces attempting to hijack their league, then Cunningham must leave. This language frames a player’s defense of women’s sports as an obstacle to the game itself.
RedState noted that this view implies white players cannot have opinions. The report called the writing subtle racism that targets two Midwestern white women on one team. It is strange that a non-player gets to decide who belongs on a professional roster. The facts show Cunningham is a top seller of jerseys and a key defender for Clark.
A Loud Response to Silence
Cunningham did not accept the call for her removal quietly. Regarding the recent column claiming the Fever should not re-sign her for the next season, she spoke out. Her reply was blunt and direct. In response to the recent column arguing the Fever should not bring her back next season, Sophie Cunningham replied, “Whatever, suck it.” This statement shuts down the debate about her future on the team.
She has faced similar criticism before for her views on transgender athletes. In a July ESPN interview, she spoke about protecting young girls in locker rooms.
Pressure on White Players
The pressure to stay silent on this issue is not new. Former WNBA star Sydney Colson told white players to “shut the f*ck up” about transgender issues on her podcast. Colson stated that if you never speak up about anything when you know it harms the people you claim to love and care about, you should be ashamed to pretend you are cool with people or care about sisterhood and all these things. She argued that white players who stay silent or say harmful things earn no respect.
Colson did not name Cunningham directly, but the context is clear. Cunningham is the only player who has spoken out against men competing in women’s sports. The former teammate relationship adds weight to the criticism. Colson’s comments suggest that speaking up for biological women is seen as a betrayal of the league’s new culture.
Standing Ground for Values
Cunningham’s refusal to back down is a rare moment of clarity in the WNBA. She protects the game by protecting the category of women’s sports. The league wants to move past these debates, but the guard will not let them. Her jersey sales prove that fans want her to stay and speak her mind.
She knows the cost of her position. She faces protests from opposing fans and columns demanding her release. Yet she stands firm on the principle that biological women should compete together. This is common sense for many Americans who watch the games.
