The Indiana Fever faced the New York Liberty on Saturday night in a game with massive playoff implications. Unfortunately for Indiana, Caitlin Clark and company lost their second straight game, dropping them to fifth in the WNBA standings.
As important as the basketball being played was, a lot of the noise and focus heading into the game was tied to Fever reserve guard Sophie Cunningham’s controversial comments on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports in a July 21 ESPN profile.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she said in the feature. “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.”
Since then, rallies held by Cunningham’s supporters, who also feel transgender women shouldn’t be able to compete with other women, have been a regular occurrence outside of Indiana’s games, and Saturday was no exception.
Happening in front of Barclays Center right now. pic.twitter.com/i9WMtRxxIW
— Khristina (@Khristina) August 22, 2026
However, a viral TikTok posted by Sportico on Saturday revealed that Cunningham’s “fans” appear to know next to little about the WNBA, suggesting their just using the league as an opportunity to push their own anti-trans agendas. In the video, multiple Cunningham fans failed to name even five players in the WNBA, something pro-trans counterprotesters had no issue doing.
@sportico We interviewed both sides of the trans women in sports protests outside the Fever-Liberty game. #NYLiberty #IndianaFever #WNBA ♬ original sound – Sportico
“This can’t be your purpse in life.”
The TikTok went viral online, ane led to some strong reactions from fans.
“This video is amazing. All the allies can name player after player after player and the transphobic freaks clearly never watched the WNBA before. I mean, we knew this,” politcal commentator Tommy Harrington posted on X.
“Can’t even name 5. What are we doing with your lives. This can’t be your purpose in life,” another person added.
“This is how I know Sophie Cunningham’s supporters just hate trans people. These people are parasites that don’t care about the WNBA, actively despise women’s sports, and just want to get rid of trans folks. This is why we have to be loud and not let up support for trans people,” someone else added.
Before the game, Cunningham distanced herself from the rallies and tried to keep the focus on basketball, something her fans seem to have no interest on.
“I think I said what I said. It’s nothing new; it’s happened every game,” Cunningham said. “I’ve kind of already stated how I feel about all of that. I’m focused on New York tonight.”
Hopefully, Saturday’s embarassment will put an end to the rallies.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.