About two dozen Cunningham supporters, along with counterprotesters and onlookers, gathered outside Portland’s Moda Center on Friday night before the Indiana Fever’s game against the Portland Fire, the second consecutive road stop where competing rallies have formed around Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s public opposition to transgender participation in women’s sports.
Supporters held signs backing Cunningham’s position while counterprotesters voiced support for transgender athletes and inclusion in sports, and Cunningham was met with boos from some fans when she took the court, according to Portland’s KGW. Several fans waved small pink, blue and white transgender flags as she checked in and touched the ball, ESPN reported. The Fever won 112-98 for their fifth straight victory, with Cunningham finishing with 13 points and Caitlin Clark recording her fourth career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Speaking to reporters beforehand, Cunningham said she has no formal ties to the rally organizers but called their turnout “bold” and “courageous,” adding that people are simply practicing their free-speech rights the way other fans have throughout WNBA history. She said the attention hasn’t been a distraction: “I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not going to like shadow that or hide.”
Portland head coach Alex Sarama and Fever coach Stephanie White both used pregame remarks to stress inclusivity as a league value. Sarama said Portland’s transgender community has “our full support,” while White said she does not believe exclusion is ever the answer.
Among the ralliers, per the Associated Press wire carried locally, were high school and college athletes and a former Olympic road racer — an apparent reference to three-time U.S. Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson, who told reporters she had “utmost respect” for Cunningham speaking out. Event organizer Amy Sousa, who leads the group Women Are Real, pushed back on suggestions that the rallies were pulling focus from the team’s play, telling The Athletic that Cunningham “loves attention” and that the group is “not here to distract.”
Organizers told The Athletic that similar events are planned for the Fever’s upcoming road games in Minneapolis and Chicago, and for their return home to Indianapolis.
Seattle fallout still lingering
The Portland demonstration was the second in a week, following an initial rally last Tuesday outside Climate Pledge Arena ahead of the Fever’s game against the Seattle Storm. That night ended with the WNBA fining Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton an undisclosed amount and barring her from attending the Storm’s next five home games, after she allegedly confronted fans holding signs in support of Cunningham, according to the WNBA’s confirmation to ABC News. The two fans were 16-year-old girls sitting courtside with a sign reading “Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls!”
Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder apologized on the team’s behalf, saying “we are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance” and that every fan deserves to feel welcome. Cunningham addressed the incident on social media, calling it “truly embarrassing” and adding that she believes there’s a “safe space and love for EVERYBODY” regardless of where people stand on the issue.
Separately, a commentator for OutKick claimed to identify a man recorded berating the same group of Cunningham supporters and their mothers, though the identification has not been confirmed by Nordstrom, which has not issued a public statement, or by the WNBA.
A recurring flashpoint
Friday’s confrontation echoed a broader symbol in the fight over youth gender care: One counterprotester in Portland wore a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt featuring a rose and a dagger — a similar design to the one Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wore in March 2023 when Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order protecting access to gender-affirming care, a moment that itself drew national attention.
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