Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has described her mid-court conversation with Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, a meeting that took place before the Lynx beat the Fever 108-100 in Minneapolis on Sunday as much of the crowd booed Cunningham.
Cunningham, 29, has become a controversial figure within the WNBA since voicing opposition to transgender athletes competing in women's sports last month. Reeve entered the discussion herself by wearing a 'Trans kids belong' t-shirt during the game, which Minnesota won.
The two coaches were seen having a serious discussion before tip-off. Asked about it afterward, Reeve said: 'I think it's great. I think both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate. There are some things that we have in common, and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it's how you handle things. It was nice to be in person, for sure.'
Reeve stopped short of revealing the full contents of the conversation, but she spoke before the game about her own position on transgender athletes in women's sports.
Reeve's Stance on Transgender Athletes
'I come from a space of inclusion,' Reeve said. 'The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women's sports. This is what's bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.'
Reeve also serves as the head coach of the USA Basketball women's national team. The WNBA does not have any transgender players who were assigned male at birth, and none have ever played in the league. Cases of transgender athletes at the NCAA level are rare; in 2024, NCAA president Charlie Baker estimated fewer than 10 were competing at the time.
Protests Turn Physical Outside Target Center
The tension on the sidelines carried over to the streets outside Target Center, where demonstrations turned chaotic ahead of tip-off. Rallies organized outside the arena brought opposing groups face-to-face, with Cunningham's supporters clashing directly with pro-trans demonstrators.
The situation escalated into a physical altercation when a female Cunningham supporter was filmed snatching a t-shirt from the hands of a pro-trans demonstrator. A group of pro-trans protesters then swarmed the woman, wrestling the shirt back from her as shouting broke out between the two sides. Target Center security guards and arena staff had to intervene to separate the factions and restore order.
Sunday's clash marked the third consecutive road game in which the Fever have been met with demonstrations, following similar protests outside arenas in Seattle and Portland over Cunningham's stance. The controversy has come during a turbulent stretch off the court for the organization, even as the Fever ride a five-game winning streak.
Cunningham's Comments Sparked the Debate
Cunningham has been at the center of the trans debate for the past week after telling ESPN that young girls 'shouldn't have to go against biological men' when playing sports.
While Cunningham was supported by protesters outside several WNBA arenas in the days that followed, the mood shifted in Portland on Friday night, when she was booed loudly by the home crowd. On court, she appeared to make a hand signal toward fans after scoring a 3-pointer that looked like she was calling them 'losers.' Cunningham later took to social media with a video of the moment, writing that she did not call them losers but did 'talk s***.' In a follow-up post she shared a video of herself with a finger to her lips, seemingly needling those who had booed her, and in another post she shared a clip of herself handing a young fan her game-worn shoes as a thank-you for their support.
