“This is despicable” – WNBA Fans Explode As ESPN Gives Cheryl Reeve’s Trans Athlete Remarks Major Spotlight During Fever Game

August 3, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx - 2026 WNBA regular season © Imagn Images

During the Minnesota-Indiana matchup on Sunday, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt that expressed support for transgender athletes. On the ESPN broadcast, play-by-play commentator Ryan Ruocco acknowledged the message and context of Reeve’s shirt.

“We see Cheryl Reeve wearing a shirt today in support of trans kids. ‘Trans kids belong’ [is] on the shirt. This is in the aftermath of Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments.”
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For the past several days, the WNBA community has been buzzing about Cunningham’s remarks about protecting the rights of female athletes in sports where they “shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

After Ruocco called attention to Reeve’s shirt, which expresses a view different from Cunningham’s perspective, color analyst Rebecca Lobo came in with a suggestion.

“I would encourage anyone to go and listen to Cheryl Reeve’s comment. Incredibly thoughtful, easy to find online.”

Just a day prior, Reeve had told reporters that she questioned the idea of transgender athletes being the “biggest problem in women’s sports.” She also emphasized that she comes from “a space of inclusion.”

The remarks made by Ruocco and Lobo, however, did not sit well with some netizens, who blasted the commentary team as well as the league itself.

“This was despicable. They showed that before game confrontation and you could tell Sophie was being talked down to and wasn’t taking it,” one netizen tweeted.

Amid the social discourse, there was basketball to be played at the Target Center on Sunday. The Lynx ended up halting the Fever’s five-game winning streak with a 108-100 win.

Olivia Miles had another spectacular outing with 28 points, four rebounds, and six assists, while Courtney Williams added 27 points on 12-for-20 shooting. Meanwhile, Cunningham was held to just three points on a single attempt from beyond the arc.

“It Was Nice to Be in Person”: Cheryl Reeve Talks About Face-to-Face Conversation With Sophie Cunningham Before Fever-Lynx Game

Even before the game tipped off, Cheryl Reeve and Sophie Cunningham were seen having a conversation. Reeve later addressed this conversation in her post-game media session.

According to Reeve, having a face-to-face chat with Cunningham was significant, even as their views on certain matters differ.

“I think it’s great. I think both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about more than anything wanting to educate. There’s some things we have in common and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it’s how you handle things, and so it was nice to be in person for sure.”

Although Reeve and Cunningham appeared to have a respectful conversation, the intensity of the online discourse is a different story.