Boos in Toronto Follow Cunningham's Comments
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was met with boos from fans during Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Tempo at Scotiabank Arena, according to The Sun U.S. Edition. More than 19,000 spectators attended the contest, and many directed their displeasure at Cunningham, who has become a central figure in the league's ongoing discussion of transgender athletes in women's sports.
Cunningham first drew widespread attention after stating in an ESPN profile last month that she wants to "protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men." Multiple outlets, including Fox News, Newsweek, the New York Post, and The Sun U.S. Edition, have carried versions of that quote. She has reiterated her opposition to transgender girls and women competing in girls' and women's sports, a position that has prompted both criticism and support.
In her postgame availability after the Tempo matchup, Cunningham brushed off the reaction. She praised the crowd and the city of Toronto, noting it was her first visit to Canada, and said boos and cheers are simply part of sports. "I want to shout out the Tempo crowd and the city," she said, according to The Sun U.S. Edition. "I think that’s what sports is all about. You’re going to get boos, you’re going to get cheers. But just the fact that they’re so passionate, they’re loud, and they’re putting on for the city, I think it’s amazing."
The Gateway Pundit reported that Cunningham faced similar boos before a game against the New York Liberty and that she stood by her earlier statements in pregame comments, saying the reaction was "nothing new" and that she was focused on basketball after the Fever clinched a playoff berth. The outlet also noted that Caitlyn Jenner has expressed support for Cunningham's position and cited a Pew Research Center poll finding that 73 percent of U.S. adults are uncomfortable with transgender athletes competing on teams that do not match their sex at birth.
Freedom Declares for Draft and Attends Games
Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom has inserted himself into the debate by declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Fox News, Essentially Sports, the New York Post, and other outlets reported that Freedom posted a video of himself signing a document entering the player pool, captioning it "Welp, it’s officially official. I just declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Join me in this journey." He later shared a workout video with the caption "Let ‘The Transition’ to the @WNBA begin. Rules Are Rules! #LetFreedomPlay."
Freedom, who is 34 and has not played in the NBA since 2022 after an 11-year career, has argued that the league's eligibility rules would technically allow him to enter if he identified as a woman. He has said "by their rules" he could play and has spoken of potentially teaming with Caitlin Clark to become a "modern Kobe and Shaq." On Fox News Channel's "My View with Lara Trump," he called Cunningham an "American hero" and said he was "prepared" to play, adding that he believed he would be "the best draft pick in WNBA history." He cited comments by Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams and a shirt worn by Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve as factors in his decision.
The New York Post and Essentially Sports reported that Freedom planned to attend the nationally televised Fever-Chicago Sky game in Chicago, taking "major security measures" according to a TMZ Sports report. Fox News described a hostile reception outside Wintrust Arena, where security shielded him as spectators swarmed. Freedom wore a shirt printed with the definition of "woman" and posted video captioned "We are getting attacked before the @WNBA game in Chicago." One fan flipped him off while another shouted that he "was sorry in the league."
Freedom has claimed he spoke with eight other male players about entering the draft, noting the pay disparity between the NBA G League ($45,000 a year) and top WNBA salaries (up to $1.4 million). Former NBA player Royce White has also declared for the draft, according to Fox News and the New York Post.
League Policy and Player Responses
The WNBA has never had a transgender player. Its collective bargaining agreement restricts the league to women but contains no specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth, as reported by WDIV ClickOnDetroit, WTOP, and Fox News. Article XIII states that only women are eligible, though enforcement details have not been fully clarified.
League officials held an anti-hate task force meeting and issued statements addressing the issue. A spokesperson said the league found "no immediate eligibility matters affecting" it and added, "We strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others," according to the New York Post. Essentially Sports reported a league statement declaring "We will not be used as political pawns." Fox News noted that officials said they were continuing the conversation while calling out "bad-faith" efforts.
Protests and rallies both for and against transgender athletes have occurred outside Fever home and away games, Newsweek and other outlets reported. At a recent game in Atlanta, security asked at least three fans to cover shirts with pro-trans messages; the league later said the fans should have been free to wear them, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit and WTOP.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart addressed the atmosphere ahead of a Liberty-Fever matchup in Brooklyn. She has long viewed the WNBA as an inclusive safe space and said she wants fans from both teams to feel that way in the arena. "Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have," Stewart told reporters, as reported by WDIV ClickOnDetroit and WTOP. Stewart has donated royalties from a Harry Potter-themed shoe to The Trevor Project.
Nneka Ogwumike, a WNBA star and players' union president, expressed concern about the impact on transgender fans. "It really breaks my heart to think about how these conversations may be affecting people who have supported us for so long," she said, according to Newsweek. Ogwumike described the emerging narrative as "concerning" and suggested that "different agendas" were using women's sports in ways that could marginalize groups the league has advocated for.
Perspectives
Sophie Cunningham has maintained that her priority is protecting young girls and biological women in sports and locker rooms, framing her comments as a defense of fairness in female competition. She has described the ongoing fan reactions as nothing new and emphasized her focus on basketball and playoff preparation.
Enes Kanter Freedom has positioned his draft declaration as a direct challenge to what he sees as unclear eligibility rules, arguing that the league must clarify whether biological males can participate by identifying as women. He has praised Cunningham and presented the move as a test of consistency rather than a conventional career pursuit.
Breanna Stewart has stressed the importance of the WNBA remaining a safe and inclusive space for fans and players of all identities, while noting that free speech and differing opinions should be respected so long as arenas feel welcoming.
Nneka Ogwumike has highlighted the emotional toll on transgender supporters of the league and warned against narratives that she believes risk marginalizing those communities amid broader political uses of women's sports.
The WNBA has sought to separate itself from what it calls bad-faith political efforts, affirming that it will continue internal conversations on the topic while denouncing attempts to demean or marginalize others and stating it will not serve as a political pawn.