Sophie Cunningham walked into a hostile Portland arena on Friday night and relished every moment of it.
This woman (I can say that, despite not being something of a biologist myself) is basically playing the Stone Cold Steve Austin role in the WNBA today. She said something that goes against the grain in these blue cities, making her the villain, but in reality, the bulk of the sports world is celebrating her as a hero.
But man, she sure is loving being the bad girl, isn't she?
For those living under a rock, Cunningham dunked on the woke sports world, which includes the media, by daring to state the obvious. That men don't belong in women's sports. That boys don't belong in girls' locker rooms.
"I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men," she said.
She then promptly found herself thrust into the lion's den in Seattle on Tuesday, where a bench player named "Big Mama Stef" tried to rattle her with a "Trans Rights" shirt, and a co-owner harassed her teenage fans.
It didn't work. In fact, it seemed to make her play better. Cunningham promptly lit it up from long-range, knocking down a trio of early threes while she, Caitlin Clark, and the Fever rolled to a 105-95 win over the Storm.
Having seen that dominance, the fans in Portland decided it would be a great idea to egg her on again. They pelted Cunningham relentlessly with boos, and even trolled her with their little trans flags and LGBTABC PDA on the "companion cam."
Again, it failed to affect her game. Sophie lit it up, shooting 67 percent from the field (60 percent from downtown). In fact, she was feeling it so much that, after draining an early three-pointer, Cunningham fired a hand gesture right back at the fans who came to jeer her.
Sophie Cunningham getting HEAVILY BOOED in Portland...
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 1, 2026
She knocks down a 3 and calls the crowd losers 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/dHD6UwVvYK
READ MORE: WNBA's ‘Big Mama Stef’ Tried to Send a Pro-Trans Message to Sophie Cunningham — It Backfired Hard
‘Truly Embarrassing’: Sophie Cunningham Rips Seattle Storm Co-Owner for Berating Teen Girls
Now, there is a contingent out there who will argue that Cunningham is actually throwing up the three-point symbol and not an 'L' for the crowd. But I disagree, as does Sports Illustrated, which described the scene thusly:
After one made three, Cunningham responded to the charade of boos by throwing up an "L" with her left hand and nodding her head, clearly looking fueled by the negative energy sent her way.
Not to mention the announcers clearly indicate that Sophie is giving it to the Fire fans.
"Loses the handle, right to Sophie Cunningham who knocks in the three and then lets the crowd hear about," the one broadcaster says.
The losers. The losers in the crowd. That's who heard about it. Strictly from a standings standpoint. I would never resort to name-calling the good folks of Portland (11-18) and Seattle (6-25).
Well, maybe I would.
Anyway, back to that Stone Cold comparison — Cunningham is, without a doubt, feeding off the crowd's negative reaction. She doesn't mind being the anti-hero. She isn't concerned that her simple comments are becoming a distraction.
And most importantly, she isn't about to change who she is.
"At the end of the day, I come in, and I do my job," Cunningham told reporters. "I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I'm full of love. I'm bubbly. I love the people around me. I love basketball. I love inspiring the next generation and doing that in a positive light. And so that doesn't even cross my mind. Doesn't cross my teammates' minds."
"And again, I'm here to play basketball, but I'm also here to be me, and I'm not going to like shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don't agree with that."
The reactions haven't been all that negative. Or at least as negative as the sports media complex would like you to believe. It's skewed by her having to go on the road in Seattle and Portland. But even in these deep-blue enclaves, groups have rallied outside the game venues supporting her, supporting her defense of girls.
Throughout it all, Sophie has been all class, as evidenced by this exchange with a young fan.
what it’s all about💕 https://t.co/RnQyTvqPMO
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) August 1, 2026
Cunningham, meanwhile, has already been offered a role in a professional wrestling organization.
Women of Wrestling part-owner and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss publicly stated her interest in having Sophie compete in a wrestling ring, calling her "talented, dedicated, and a fierce competitor."
She is all of those things and then some.
We would love to have @SophieCunning5 join us at @wowsuperheroes she is talented, dedicated and a fierce competitor!! https://t.co/dRtiQdAIST
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) July 27, 2025
“I thought that tweet was pretty funny. I don’t know what will happen with that. I’m still just kind of focused on basketball. But it is kind of cool,” Cunningham told journalist Landon Buford. “I’ve been a lifelong WWE fan for a really long time. Ever since we were little. So, I think it would be something kind of fun to get into.”
Maybe. But it's clear she's having just as much fun on the hardwood right now. And it's sending woke WNBA "losers" into a tailspin.
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