The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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Sophie Cunningham poses for a picture—and Megan Rapinoe convenes the tribunal

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DAILY BS BULLETIN

  • Megan Rapinoe says Sophie Cunningham’s photograph with Riley Gaines told her “everything” and accused Gaines of seeking to exclude transgender people from public life.
  • Cunningham says she loves everyone but remains committed to protecting female athletes, calling respectful debate “healthy” even when people disagree.

Megan Rapinoe has officially entered the WNBA’s escalating transgender-athlete battle, declaring that one photograph of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham standing beside Riley Gaines told her “everything” she needed to know.

The retired U.S. soccer star used her new “Why Are You Like This?” podcast to unload on Cunningham and Gaines following Sunday’s Fever-Minnesota Lynx game. Gaines had attended the game to support Cunningham, who has faced weeks of criticism after saying female athletes should not be required to compete against biological males.

“I want to address the controversy that is happening right now around trans women in sports,” Rapinoe began.

“As you know, I’ve talked about this a lot and will continue to keep talking about this.”

Rapinoe acknowledged that she does not know Cunningham personally. That temporary outbreak of humility lasted approximately six seconds.

“I don’t know Sophie, so I can only project what I see about her beliefs based on her actions.”

Then came the verdict:

“Seeing a picture of her with Riley Gaines after the game told me everything I need to know about what’s happening.”

No conversation with Cunningham. No questions. No attempt to understand why a professional female athlete might support sex-based athletic categories.

The photograph had spoken. Court adjourned.

Cunningham has repeatedly said she supports transgender people while also supporting Title IX and maintaining that women’s sports should remain organized according to biological sex.

Rapinoe presented those positions as contradictory.

“Sophie has claimed both to love trans people and support Title IX.”

“This is where I think the accountability with having a major platform is extremely important,” she added.

Rapinoe then turned directly to Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer who became a women’s-sports activist after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships.

“Riley Gaines has made it her life’s mission to exclude trans people from public life.”

Rapinoe accused Gaines of being tied to the Heritage Foundation and claimed the conservative organization supports repealing Title IX.

“The very piece of legislation that allowed athletes like Sophie and myself to compete in sports.”

Rapinoe argues that transgender inclusion represents the fulfillment of Title IX’s promise. Gaines argues that allowing athletes born male into women’s categories undermines the sex-based protections Title IX established.

Both sides invoke the same law while defining its purpose differently. Rapinoe’s version, however, leaves little room for a female athlete to disagree without being accused of attempting to erase transgender people from “public life.”

Gaines is not advocating that transgender Americans be prohibited from attending school, holding jobs or entering public places. Her stated campaign is focused on sex-based athletic categories, locker rooms and scholarships.

Cunningham’s original comments appeared in a July ESPN profile.

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’”

Cunningham said her position combines respect for transgender people with a belief that biological distinctions matter in competitive sports.

“I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.”

She then stated the position that launched weeks of protests, counterprotests, hostile interviews and ideological wardrobe choices around the WNBA:

“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

Cunningham refused to retreat after the backlash.

“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” she told reporters, according to the New York Post.

She continued:

“I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said.”

The Indiana guard has not publicly identified herself as a conservative or a Trump supporter. She has rejected the “MAGA Barbie” nickname assigned to her online and described her politics as a mixture of positions from both sides.

But once Cunningham questioned transgender participation in women’s sports, she was promptly drafted into the culture war—with no opt-out clause.

Cunningham’s most recent public remarks came Wednesday during a USA Network broadcast, before Rapinoe’s attack began circulating.

Rather than demand punishment for people who disagree with her, Cunningham called for respectful debate.

“I think I have a very clear and strong perspective on this.”

“I know that people are not always going to align and agree,” she said, according to OutKick.

“The most important thing is having that respect, having that love, and pursuing peace in these conversations.”

Cunningham called disagreement and debate “healthy.”

As of Friday morning, neither Cunningham nor Gaines appeared to have issued a direct public response to Rapinoe’s latest remarks.

Gaines attended Sunday’s game at Minnesota’s Target Center carrying a small sign that read:

“Sophie, thank you — a girl mom.”

Gaines said she carefully reviewed the arena’s policies before entering and measured the sign to ensure it complied with the 11-by-17-inch limit.

“I got a ruler out. You better believe I was measuring it.”

Nevertheless, Gaines said a Target Center staff member instructed her to put the sign away, allegedly because it contained Cunningham’s name.

The exchange was recorded. Gaines refused.

“What are you going to do, kick me out? Go for it.”

According to Gaines, other signs and shirts bearing political messages remained visible throughout the arena. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt during the game, while ESPN’s broadcast highlighted her position.

Gaines’ modest message of thanks apparently presented a greater problem.

The Target Center incident followed a separate confrontation in Seattle, where Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton allegedly berated teenage Cunningham supporters wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts.

The WNBA fined the Storm and suspended Keaton from five home games. Cunningham called the owner’s behavior “an embarrassment.”

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