Indiana Fever megastar Sophie Cunningham had a pretty good game Tuesday night against the Toronto Tempo at Scotiabank Arena. The Fever beat the Tempo 101–95, and Cunningham finished the night with a solid 13 points and went a perfect 3-for-3 from the three-point range.
Much of the hottest action, however, was outside the arena as the Sophie Cunningham appreciation tour moved north into Canada. Supporters of her unapologetic stance that girls and women's sports should be protected from biological males gathered outside Scotiabank Arena in a show of solidarity.
The group was led by Canadian powerlifter April Hutchinson, and many of them were sporting XX-XY Athletics T-shirts – the same kind of shirt that recently ran afoul of the WNBA in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hutchinson said everything was fine until a small group of "pro-trans" dissents tried to stir up a little trouble. She said it wasn't really a big deal as "Only about five were wearing protect trans kids and protect the dolls t shirts, [they] walked by and said that our signs were disrespectful."
Canadian powerlifting champion April Hutchinson led a Sophie Cunningham rally in Toronto ahead of the Indiana Fever’s game against the Toronto Tempo, marking the first such rally outside the U.S.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 19, 2026
The gathering drew Cunningham supporters as well as a small group of… pic.twitter.com/ZIIhbkNWeo
Canadian powerlifting champion April Hutchinson led a Sophie Cunningham rally in Toronto ahead of the Indiana Fever’s game against the Toronto Tempo, marking the first such rally outside the U.S.
The gathering drew Cunningham supporters as well as a small group of counterprotesters, while a mobile billboard prompted Toronto police to issue tickets over alleged municipal sign violations.
Cunningham later scored 13 points in the Fever’s win and praised Toronto fans despite receiving boos during the game.
Hutchinson revealed that Toronto police had contacted her prior to the game to get details about the rally and "ensure our safety."
The positive sentiment from the police apparently didn't extend to fellow Cunningham supporters who brought a "large mobile billboard that featured Cunningham and messaging by Martina Navratilova addressing fairness in women's sports, and other athletes."
SEE ALSO: Sophie Cunningham Belts Out Patriotic Classic in Viral Video — Her Haters Won't Like This One Bit
That was too much for law enforcement, who ticketed the driver of the truck carrying the digital billboard and levied fines worth $1,230.
Police swarmed the truck, ordered Mark to turn the video off, and claimed it was illegal for him to play that ad. They issued a $615 ticket on the spot. Not for any traffic offence, but purely for the content. When Mark put one of the officers on the phone with me, the cop repeated the same absurd claim: that it’s illegal to show a video on a truck.
Meanwhile, back inside the arena, Cunningham addressed the boos she received from some in the crowd and put a positive spin on the reaction, saying, "You're going to get boos you're going to get cheers, but just the fact that they're so passionate, they're loud and they're putting out for the city, I think it's amazing."
Sophie Cunningham responds to getting booed in Toronto.
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) August 19, 2026
"I think that's what sports is all about, you're gonna get boos, you're gonna get cheers." pic.twitter.com/jBWWhSdXKZ
"I want to shout out the Tempo crowd, and the city, I think we had so much fun, it's my first time being in Canada... but the crowd was absolutely amazing, and I think that's what sports is all about, you're going to get boos you're going to get cheers, but just the fact that they're so passionate, they're loud and they're putting out for the city, I think it's amazing," Cunningham told reporters.
Sophie handled the moment with grace, but the same can't be said for Toronto police. Whatever they thought about the messaging on the truck, unleashing police and fines on a billboard calling for fairness in women’s sports looks less like a public safety issue and more like a department – nation? – with wildly misplaced priorities.
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