Last week, Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham kicked open the door to a very public discussion around transgender athlete participation in women’s sports.
It’s a conversation that has been happening in earnest across league social media, t-shirt slogans, and promotions. However, after Cunningham voiced a desire to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” it was now an issue that the WNBA needed to face head-on, whether it wanted to or not.
Conservative media and provocateurs have seized the opportunity to highlight not only Cunningham’s comments but also all the reactions (or non-reactions) to them. That includes an incident during the Fever’s game against the Seattle Storm on July 28, in which a co-owner of the Storm approached two girls with signs supporting Cunningham and allegedly called them “f*cking insane.”
While Cunningham has received pushback from others, including her podcast co-host, WNBA players and coaches’ reactions had mostly been limited to well-timed t-shirts. That is, until Friday’s press conferences before the Fever’s game against the Portland Fire.
Both Fever coach Stephanie White and Fire coach Alex Sarama were asked for their thoughts on the situation ahead of Friday night’s game.
“I wouldn’t say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint, but I don’t ever believe that exclusion is an answer,” said White. “I just don’t. I do think, when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport and things that go into that, as I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up that I played with the boys all the time. There weren’t girls sports back then.”
White was then asked if she would welcome a “biological male” into the WNBA.
“I don’t know, when we talk about biological males scientifically where we are, I think it’s a totally different scenario,” White added. “As I said, I’m not educated enough in transgender and transitioning to give you a smart answer. I would say, though, that I just don’t think that exclusion is an answer, and I think that we need to have deeper, more layered conversations.”
Fever Head Coach Stephanie White addressing her personal stance on transgender people playing girls and women’s sports: pic.twitter.com/xqe9z6bJBp
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) August 1, 2026
Sarama offered similar thoughts, sharing his support for the transgender community.
“I think as this great league grows, it attracts fans from all walks of life,” Sarama said. “But when I think about Portland and what it means to live here, it’s inclusivity, it’s respect, and that’s why I’m so proud to be here. So, I just think that’s what’s most important tonight and for our fans. I want them to come and be comfortable and be safe like normal.
“I know what it means to be here and to live in Portland, and I’m so proud of all the values and what it means to be part of a community where these values are important, and it matters.”
“…[The transgender community] have full support, and they’re a very important part of what the values of the Portland Fire are at the end of the day. And that’s why I said I want to make sure that all the fans who are coming here tonight … just making sure our fan base feel comfortable and supported when they come here to the Fire Pit.”
Fire head coach Alex Sarama spoke pregame tonight about the recent wave of attention on Sophie Cunningham and the rallies outside of Fever road games.
(FWIW, I have no clue who the guy was that asked the last two questions. Never seen him before and he left immediately.) pic.twitter.com/8KPqE0Hjmm
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) August 1, 2026
Sarama was also asked if he’d be okay with “biological males” playing in the WNBA, replying, “I think I’ve given my answer already on that question. I don’t feel like I need to go deeper there.”
White and Sarama’s answers appear to align with the WNBA’s values. A sizable percentage of players are LGBTQ+, and the league has long championed inclusion and diversity. And while Cunningham might be the loudest person in the room, it stands to reason that she’s outnumbered on this debate within league circles.
However, if the WNBA wants to counteract what’s coming for them right now, vagueness and feigning a lack of education on the topic won’t cut it much longer. Support without being able to refute the strawman arguments and logic pretzels often presented by right-wing journalists doesn’t do much in the long run.
It’s clear that certain media types smell blood in the water and are sinking their teeth into this story. Platitudes and a desperate hope that the spotlight shifts aren’t going to suffice in the face of that scrutiny.
The WNBA had a debilitating lack of leadership, and it’s situations like this where it becomes most apparant. If the league as a whole doesn’t align with Cunningham’s view of things, leaving its coaches and players to the wolves without creating a thoughtful plan or campaign seems destined to fail.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.