Sophie Cunningham is booed in Portland over trans comments as WNBA star hits back by calling critics ‘losers’

Sophie Cunningham was greeted with boos in Portland days after the Indiana Fever forward ignited controversy among WNBA fans by objecting to transgender athletes in women’s sports.

With a smattering of fans waving small transgender pride flags at Friday’s Fever-Fire game at Moda Center, Cunningham was audibly jeered when she checked into the game during the first half of action. And those boos occasionally returned whenever Cunningham touched the ball. 

But Cunningham gave as good as she got on Friday. 

When she drained a 3-pointer, the fiery role player turned to the crowd while making an ‘L’ with her hand, apparently referring to her critics as ‘losers.’

Fever coach Stephanie White was asked for her opinion on the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports and responded by pushing for inclusion. 

‘I wouldn’t say I’m educated enough from a scientific standpoint, but I don’t ever believe that exclusion is an answer,’ White told reporters prior to tip-off. ‘I just don’t. 

‘I do think, when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport and things that go into that, as I said, I’m not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up that I played with the boys all the time. There weren’t girls sports back then.’ 

While White answered questions on the subject inside Moda Center, Cunningham loyalists were outside the arena demonstrating in support of the woman at the center of the WNBA’s latest controversy. 

Judging by videos posted on a ‘Women Are Real’ X page, Friday’s protest did not appear to draw a large crowd outside Moda Center ahead of the Fever-Fire tip-off. Several individuals held signs thanking Cunningham for voicing her opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports. Meanwhile, one man is seen making an ‘X’ with his arms.

Just days earlier, the same organizers made national news in Seattle when the owner of the WNBA’s Storm told two young Cunningham supporters they were ‘f***ing insane’ for demonstrating courtside. As a result, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton has been banned from her team’s next five home games by the WNBA.

The Daily Mail revealed earlier Friday that two further protests were planned, starting with the Fever-Fire game in Portland.

‘We’re a group of middle aged women and girls with baskets of cookies, balloons, bubbles, and welcome signs,’ read a post from organizer Amy Sousa in defense of the group. ‘We’re literally a cheer squad!’

Sousa is pictured in a subsequent post wearing XX-XY Athletics gear, which is a brand aimed at promoting opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports.

The Daily Mail has sought comment from Fire spokespeople on the protests.

There was also a counter protest before Friday’s game, which included a person dressed in a frog costume holding a sign reading: ‘Trans people just want to live.’ 

Another counter protestor wore a t-shirt reading: ‘f*** transphobia.’  

On Sunday, Indiana travels to Minnesota to face the Lynx, where another demonstration protesting transgender athletes in women’s sports has been slated ahead of the 1pm EST tip-off.

The planned rallies come just days after the issue exploded in Seattle, when a calm protest outside the arena was followed by a courtside meltdown.

After two young girls brought in signs pledging their support for Cunningham and the ‘protect women’s sports’ movement, Keaton allowed her temper to boil over when she confronted them and allegedly told them they were ‘f***ing insane.’

The Storm have since apologized for the incident.

In addition to Keaton, several fans were also recorded berating the young Cunningham supporters.

‘Garbage! Take the trash out!’ one man is heard yelling while gesturing to the girls and reporter Brandi Kruse, who is credited for organizing the protest in Seattle.

Several voices can be heard calling for security to have the man taken away in the video shared by Fox News. But despite the pleas for help, the confrontation continued.

‘Some of the fans were relentlessly booing at them,’ Kruse told Fox News Digital. ‘And I kind of turned around and said, ‘Look, they’re just teenage girls.”

Another viral video purportedly shows an angry Storm supporter spitting in a Fever fan’s direction after Indiana’s 105-95 win, but that has not been corroborated.

Sunday’s protest in Minneapolis, meanwhile, is being led by XX-XY Athletics founder and former Team USA gymnastics champion Jennifer Sey.

Sey, who previously wrote for the Daily Mail to slam the WNBA’s mean girl plot to topple Caitlin Clark, has been a long-time voice in the ‘save women’s sports’ movement.

The trans issue was catapulted into the spotlight by Cunningham recently, when she spoke to ESPN, insisting women ‘shouldn’t have to go against biological men.’

The two girls sitting courtside in support of Cunningham on Tuesday wore t-shirts made by XX-XY, and the WNBA star herself took to X to slam the Storm co-owner.

‘I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY,’ she wrote. ‘Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table!

‘You can disagree and still be kind. Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You’ll be hearing from me soon. Yay for gifts.

‘Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is.’