Sophie Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, and the rest of their Indiana Fever squad enjoyed a chance to escape the relentless scrutiny that had been trailing them after Thursday night’s game.
Returning to their home turf in Indiana offered a stark contrast to the buzz-filled rallies that defined their recent away games. The jeers that haunted them last week had transformed into supportive applause from their loyal fans.
The backlash against Cunningham’s controversial opinion on excluding transgender women from women’s sports had, at least for now, ebbed away.
Players and fans alike seemed eager to shift past the tumultuous debate, even if this brief reprieve is limited to Indianapolis.
‘It feels overdue. I’m really looking forward to focusing on the game,’ expressed Carmen Edmainiston, a die-hard Fever enthusiast aged 24.
Thursday’s game was another marquee matchup between the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the most visible and televised team in the league. The Aces won it in overtime thanks to Chelsea Gray’s buzzer beater.
Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever received a welcome respite from the spotlight
They were given a warm reception back in Indianapolis after controversy on their road trip
They met in last year’s WNBA semifinals and twice earlier this season, with the Fever winning each game by more than 15 points on the road.
Despite a sellout crowd decked out mostly in Fever red, a street vendor selling a T-shirt with a shot of Cunningham pointing with the phrase ‘Sophie Point God’ and loud roars during Indiana’s player introductions, there also were reminders of the controversy that has engulfed the WNBA.
A lone protester outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse made his argument in support of Cunningham’s position with a bullhorn. Inside, the signs carried messages such as ‘I want to play like Sophie’ and ‘Thank you for standing up for girls, Sophie!’
That wasn’t the reception Cunningham got last week in Seattle, Portland or Minnesota, where coach Cheryl Reeve wore a T-shirt during Sunday’s game with the message ‘Trans kids belong.’
The Fever are expected to be greeted with another rally when they travel to Chicago on Saturday because Cunningham has not backed off her stance despite the criticism.
‘I was asked a question and that’s simply what it was. I wasn’t trying to make a statement. I was trying to clear the air, and I did that, back in February, so it is what it is,’ she said Wednesday at practice.
‘We’re in the middle of the season, so I’m going to keep it at that. Our team is good, my teammates are good, our locker room is great.’
Cunningham’s position is merely the latest episode in a Fever season filled with drama.
In recent weeks, supporters of Sophie Cunningham have had their rallies gatecrashed by pro-trans activists – leading to verbal and alleged physical confrontations over the matter
Cunningham has faced backlash following her comments on ‘protecting young girls’ from ‘biological men’ in sports
Political activist Riley Gaines claimed that a WNBA staffer told her to put down her sign which threw support behind star Sophie Cunningham amid the ongoing trans athlete debate
While Clark and Angel Reese each have seven technical fouls, the most in the league and one short of an automatic one-game suspension, Clark also has been involved in a sideline spat with coach Stephanie White.
And, some of the contact she has incurred this season has stirred a debate that has reached the U.S. Congress over whether she’s being unfairly targeted.
Following a rare three-day break away from her usual media duties, Clark weighed in when asked during a pregame news conference how she has dealt with life inside of a bubble where her every move and word is scrutinized.
‘I think first and foremost, you speak when you feel like you want to speak,’ she said.
‘I’ve been in this position for what, five years now, four years, and I think I have a good feel of what’s going to be asked, what’s not going to be asked, how to approach each situation and I try to just show up and be myself every single day, and I hope fans can feel like they can connect with me in that way.’