Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was jeered by 19,300 fans in her first game in Canada on Tuesday night during a 101-95 victory over the Toronto Tempo at Scotiabank Arena.
The vocal reception follows weeks of intense debate after Cunningham publicly advocated for measures to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
Cunningham has become a polarizing figure across professional sports after stating that she wants to "protect young girls" from "biological men." Her outspoken position has sparked widespread discussion and heightened hostility on social media surrounding the WNBA, a league historically recognized for its inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community.
Despite the chorus of boos throughout the contest, Cunningham turned in one of her best statistical performances of the season, recording 13 points, two rebounds, and two assists in the victory.
Following the game, Cunningham offered a tongue-in-cheek message of appreciation for the energetic Canadian crowd during her postgame media appearance.
"I want to shout out the, the Tempo crowd and the city," Cunningham said. "I think we've had so much fun. It's my first time being in Canada. It's a lot of our first times being in Canada, but the crowd was absolutely amazing."
"And, you know, I think that's what sports is all about," Cunningham added. "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 on for the city, I think it's amazing. So shout out to you guys for coming out and supporting."
Atlanta Fan Confrontation
The scene in Toronto comes just days after arena security confronted two spectators over anti-trans shirts during an Indiana Fever game against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
Georgia residents Kasey Thomason and her 17-year-old daughter, Annie, were seated three rows back at Gateway Center Arena during Indiana's 95-91 overtime victory when stadium staff approached them.
The pair, who paid $1,000 each for their lower-level seats, were wearing apparel from XX-XY Athletics, a brand advocating for the exclusion of transgender athletes from women's sports categories.
Security guards allegedly told the pair that their clothing was "offensive" and violated venue policies, ordering them to cover their shirts with promotional giveaways or leave the building immediately.
"We did nothing," Thomason said outside the arena following the game. "We were just sitting there. I didn't make signs. I wanted to make signs, but I didn't. I did nothing."
Thomason claimed another spectator wearing a shirt reading "Protect Trans Rights" alerted security to them after that fan was instructed to zip up a jacket over her own shirt.
