Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is in the middle of a controversy over her take on the participation of trans athletes in women’s sports.
Cunningham made it clear she believes that young girls should not compete against biologically male athletes in sporting competitions.
However, sports media personality and podcaster Katie Nolan is not on board with Cunningham’s stance, calling her out for the views she expressed over the past few days.
Katie Nolan Slams Sophie Cunningham’s View on Trans-Athletes
Nolan took a shot at Cunningham in the latest episode of her “Casuals” podcast, which was posted on YouTube on Friday.
The podcast host felt that Cunningham, who made a surprise appearance as a guest round (octagon) girl for the first round of the Paddy Pimblett-Benoit Saint-Denis fight at UFC 329 on July 11, was a hypocrite for supporting the UFC’s position against allowing trans athletes to compete against women’s MMA fighters in the octagon.
She questioned the WNBA player’s line of thinking by supporting the UFC’s view, even though she shared a locker room with WNBA players who had opened up about being part of the LGBTQ community or had advocated for equal rights in sports.
“All you’re telling us, Sophie, is that you don’t really have critical thinking skills, or that you aren’t interested in employing them,” Nolan said.
“You’re taking the message that’s being given to you by people who are highly invested in this dividing stuff, and you’re helping them sell it by not questioning it at all. Which is extra crazy given the fact that you’re surrounded by people you could talk to about this issue to better understand it,” she added.
Nolan continued her tirade against Cunningham, saying that she has spoken out for women’s protection against trans athletes participating in women’s sports. Yet she aligned herself with people who had previously committed domestic violence against women on that UFC fight card.
“You couldn’t catch me dead at that fight. (Expletive) Conor McGregor, respectfully,” she said. “And you (follow up) by saying that it’s really important for you to protect little girls.
“From some theoretical transgender person who might take advantage of, so many things would have to happen for the harm you’re claiming to be worried about to actually be carried out. Meanwhile, men come into women’s sports in various positions of authority and they take advantage of women all the time. And where were you, Sophie, on any of that?” Nolan questioned.
