Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve defended the right of demonstrators to gather outside Sunday's game against the Indiana Fever while rejecting the central argument behind the protest, saying transgender women are not a threat in locker rooms and that the debate has been framed in problematic ways.
Reeve told reporters Saturday that everyone has a right to peacefully assemble, whether or not they agree with the message. «It is not the case that we have 'biological men' in girls' locker rooms,» she said. «The way it's being phrased, the innuendo there that transgender women are predators of some kind in the locker room. There's a lot of narrative that is problematic that we need to address.»
The demonstration, promoted by XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey, is scheduled outside Target Center for the Lynx-Fever game. Organizers have dubbed it «Sophie Night» in support of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has said she wants to protect young girls in locker rooms and in sports who should not have to compete against biological males.
Reeve said she is not concerned about safety issues related to the rally. «I don't think we should feel like our safe space is being threatened,» she said. «I don't think these demonstrators are not being peaceful, not that I've seen. I haven't seen all of it. I haven't heard everything that's happening. But everyone has a right to peacefully assemble, whether you agree with them or not.»
Similar demonstrations have followed the Fever this week. In Seattle on Tuesday and in Portland on Friday, supporters of Cunningham gathered outside games. The Seattle stop turned contentious when two teenage Cunningham supporters alleged that Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton cursed at them courtside. The WNBA fined Keaton and barred her from Seattle's next five home games.
Reeve said the league has a responsibility to protect players and fans who feel threatened or discriminated against while preserving an inclusive environment. «The commissioner and the league have a responsibility to ensure that any topic that could be problematic for players, or they perceive to be unsafe or threatened in any way or discriminated against, I think that's something that's fair for our leadership,» Reeve said. «And I'm quite sure that they have eyes on and ears on to make sure that it's a safe space for everyone. And that's what makes our league beautiful.»
Reeve argued that transgender participation has been overstated as a threat to women's sports. She said she comes from a place of inclusion and called it bothersome that some people are treating transgender athletes as the biggest problem in women's sports. At the same time, she acknowledged that the issue becomes more complicated after puberty, in Olympic sports, and when college scholarships are at stake. «Every kid has the right to access,» she said. «Now, what gets nuanced is when you're beyond puberty, when you're an Olympic sport, when you're looking at scholarships and that sort of thing. That's where I say that common-sense people get together and you find common ground to find a way to be inclusive. The answer isn't no.»
She also said she had encouraged WNBA leadership years ago to establish a clear policy before the issue reached the league. «It would make sense for our league to be leaders in this space,» she said. The WNBA has been drawn into a debate that is already playing out across American sports. The NCAA restricts women's competition to biological females, and the International Olympic Committee plans to impose biological eligibility rules and genetic screening for women's events beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Games. In June, the Supreme Court upheld state laws protecting female school sports, with all nine justices agreeing that Title IX does not require states to let transgender athletes compete in female categories.
Reeve made her stance public on July 17, days before Cunningham made her own position known, when Reeve was asked about the Supreme Court's ruling. She described attacks on transgender people as aggressive and said exclusion is not the answer, adding that sports provide something valuable to young people that should not be taken away. She said the discussion can be resolved thoughtfully without making anyone feel unsafe. «You can voice your opinion, have a strong opinion, but it's a safe space for everyone regardless of whether or not we agree.»
