Conservative political activist Riley Gaines, who has been supporting Sophie Cunningham‘s stance on transgender athletes, defended the Indiana Fever star anew.
In an episode of “The Riley Gaines Show” on Tuesday, Gaines came to the defense of Cunningham, whose popularity had spiked recently. Gaines addressed the criticisms the Fever star had received on social media, including accusations of being a “grifter.”
“She’s never come out and said that she’s MAGA, that she’s a Trump voter,” Gaines said (Timestamp: 16:45). “Not that she should feel shame in saying that, and people can’t assume her political opinions. That was even further solidified when she’s on the bar singing Toby Keith’s ‘Red, White and Blue.’
“But nonetheless, she’s never said that. She’s never affiliated herself in that way. Yet, you’ve got people like this calling her a grifter. I hate, hate, hate that word, grifter.”
Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN interview in July that she supports protecting young girls and women against biological men in sports. Her comments were viewed as polarizing and sparked an ongoing debate on social media.
Both critics and supporters of Cunningham have expressed their opinions on the issue, with rallyists and counterprotesters demonstrating outside several of Indiana’s games.
Riley Gaines shares her experience watching Sophie Cunningham and Co.
In the same podcast episode on Tuesday, Riley Gaines talked about her WNBA experience watching Sophie Cunningham, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
Gaines attended her first WNBA game when the Fever visited the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 2. She also went to Indiana’s most recent game, Friday’s 111-91 win over the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“The Fever game was a totally different experience,” Gaines said (Timestamp: 1:52). “It was cool because the Fever was down after the first quarter, and they came back to win by a pretty big margin. And our seats (were) so good.”
Gaines expressed her delight in experiencing a Fever home game and seeing Sun star Brittney Griner in person.
Friday’s game was also attended by Royce White, one of two former NBA players who declared their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA draft. He argued that he is eligible under the league rules, claiming to identify as transgender and a woman.
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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos