JD Vance has publicly backed Sophie Cunningham, encouraging the WNBA player to “keep speaking her mind” as controversy continues to swirl around her remarks about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Cunningham has found herself at the center of a heated national debate in recent weeks after telling ESPN that young girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in athletic competition.
The Indiana Fever guard has drawn sharp criticism from some fans and prominent voices across the sports world, including Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt during a matchup against the Fever.
Now the dispute has reached the highest levels of American politics, with Vice President Vance urging Cunningham to “keep going” despite what he described as pressure from the “mob.”
‘Sometimes when you’re courageous in this country, some of the worst people in the world try to attack you,’ Vance told Fox News.
“What I would tell Sophie and anybody else is: keep speaking your mind, you’re actually inspiring a dozen people for every person that criticizes you.
JD Vance has come to Sophie Cunningham’s defense as backlash grows over her comments about transgender athletes.
The WNBA star said girls ‘shouldn’t have to go against biological men’ when playing sports
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a ‘Trans Kids Belong’ t-shirt on the sidelines of her team’s clash against Cunningham and the Indiana Fever
‘And we cannot take our country back, we cannot save the United States of America, unless you have people of courage who are speaking their mind.
‘The thing about courage is it’s contagious. When you see one person – even if they have the mob come after them – speak their mind in a courageous and honest way, it inspires a lot of people to do the same. So I would tell Sophie to keep going.’
Since Cunningham’s comments went viral, Indiana Fever games have seen both pro- and anti-trans protests.
In Minnesota, protestors on each side of the debate clashed outside Target Center, while Lynx coach Reeve was seen in an animated discussion with Cunningham at the side of the court while she wore her ‘Trans Kids Belong’ shirt.
‘I respect her for coming up in person,’ Cunningham said on Wednesday. ‘I think a lot of people hide behind screens and love that type of thing. She had stories about her point of view and I had stories about my point of view and we left with love and respect and I think that’s what it’s all about.’
Reeve, meanwhile, had previously said: ‘I think it’s great… both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate.
‘There are some things that we have in common, and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it’s how you handle things. It was nice to be in person, for sure.’
Reeve, who also serves as the Team USA coach, added: ‘I come from a space of inclusion… the narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women’s sports.
Cunningham and Reeve had an animated pre-game discussion before the game
Since Cunningham’s comments, Fever games have seen both pro and anti-trans protests
‘This is what’s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.’
When Caitlin Clark was asked about her teammate’s comments, she said: ‘I think, for us, it’s not really a discussion we really have in our locker room.
‘I think it’s for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions, but our focus is on basketball. That’s what we talk about and how we can get wins, and, obviously, we didn’t do that tonight.’
A second reporter then followed up with a question on the same subject, to which he was met by Clark saying: ‘I just answered for you.’
