On Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, sportswriter Howard Bryant, who was recently arrested for allegedly beating his wife, published a controversial op-ed accusing WNBA star Sophie Cunningham of embracing right-wing politics. Bryant equated Cunningham's opposition to biological males competing in girls' sports with the political activism of Colin Kaepernick, stating, "She is every bit as political as Colin Kaepernick."

Bryant criticized Cunningham for her stance that young girls should not have to compete against biological males, a position she expressed saying, "But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men."

The op-ed further labeled Cunningham as the right’s "anti-Black, anti-transgender culture war ambassador," a role initially associated with fellow WNBA player Caitlin Clark. Bryant also compared Cunningham’s views on female sports to Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem and denouncing the Fourth of July as sadistic.

These developments come amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis, where trans activists confronted women's sports advocates supporting Cunningham during a recent Fever-Lynx basketball game. XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey and Kendall Kotzmacher reported facing hostile counter-protesters, though Sey noted that over 50 peaceful supporters gathered to back female athletes fighting for fairness in competition.

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 79% of Americans oppose allowing individuals who were male at birth to compete in female sports categories.

Cunningham gained mainstream attention last summer as one of the few WNBA players willing to defend Caitlin Clark both on the court and in the media.

Sources