Demonstrators showed up outside the American Airlines Center on Thursday before the Indiana Fever faced the Dallas Wings. Similar demonstrations have taken place at other venues since Sophie Cunningham voiced her opinion against the inclusion of trans athletes from competing in women’s sports.
This time, Texas Attorney General and politician Ken Paxton was also present, showing his support for Cunningham amid the ongoing debate.
Ken Paxton’s Support for Sophie Cunningham
Paxton attended the game with his daughter Mattie, and the two wore matching XX-XY shirts as women’s sports advocates rallied outside the arena before the game.
While speaking with Outkick before the game, Paxton said Texas is advocating for the exclusion of males from girls’ sports.
“We in Texas, we are promoting no boys in girls’ sports because it’s completely unfair,” Paxton said during the interview.
Paxton also spoke about Cunningham and said Texans can support the Fever guard despite the criticism she has received over her views.
“Instead of criticizing her, how about we admire something of great courage, which is what she has accomplished as a young woman. Standing up is very difficult. I have a lot of admiration. I know a lot of Texans have a lot of admiration for what she has accomplished at such a young age,” the Republican added.
Sophie Cunningham isn’t afraid to stand up for women’s sports.@KenPaxtonTX praised the Fever star for refusing to stay silent. pic.twitter.com/TYje8nlcb3
— OutKick (@Outkick) August 21, 2026
While Paxton’s message was a strong show of support for Cunningham, her performance on the court Thursday told a different story. She scored zero points, grabbed zero rebounds, and had zero assists in the 15 minutes she played.
On the other hand, Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 37 points and made history along the way, hitting the 20-point mark for the 21st straight game, which was a new WNBA record.
As for the game itself, the Fever had the upper hand early on. They led by four points after the first quarter, and the two teams were tied 42-42 at halftime. But Dallas came out strong in the second half. After the third quarter, the Wings were up by five points, and by the fourth quarter, they built their biggest lead of the night at 11 points. Ultimately, the Wings held on to win 91-85.
The Fever will now look to move on from the defeat as they prepare for their next game. Indiana is scheduled to face the New York Liberty on Saturday.
