White House backs WNBA star Sophie Cunningham on women’s sports remarks

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on Thursday after Cunningham reiterated her support for barring transgender athletes from women’s sports.

“Men should not be playing in women’s sports. It’s completely ludicrous that anyone could support that,” Ms. Leavitt told reporters, calling the backlash against Ms. Cunningham “astonishing” and accusing critics of being out of touch with public opinion on the issue.

“It’s even more ludicrous that you do have Sophie Cunningham, a female athlete herself, very accomplished in her own right, coming forth and speaking that truth that men should(n’t) play in women’s sports,” Ms. Leavitt continued. “The backlash she is receiving from Democrats and left-wing figures across the country is astonishing. They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue, which again, is an 80-20 issue. It’s common sense.”

Ms. Cunningham first drew national attention after telling ESPN this week that she wants to protect young girls from having to compete against or share locker rooms with biological men. She doubled down on the remarks Wednesday ahead of the Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun, telling reporters she stands by what she said and considers it common sense.

Ms. Cunningham has said she does not view her position as anti-transgender, describing her stance as rooted in honesty rather than animosity toward any group.

The comments come amid a broader national debate over transgender participation in women’s athletics, with high school athletes and lawmakers on both sides increasingly weighing in on the issue.