WNBA Star Breaks With League On Explosive Issue

Unlike so many professional female athletes, WNBA star Sophie Cunningham is not afraid to stand up for the protection of female athletes.

The Indiana Fever guard says that while her politics are "middle" of the road, she feels compelled to speak out on the matter.

"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said in an interview with ESPN published Tuesday, referring to her position on women's sports.

"I think that I am here to extend love," she continued. "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."

"I'm very much in the middle [politically]," the Missouri native said after an ESPN interviewer said some people view her as Right-wing or "MAGA."

"I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides," Cunningham added. "And that's all I've ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume."

Cunningham's position runs counter to that of the WNBA. Not only has the organization signaled its devotion to so-called LGBT activism, but the league's players' union, the WNBPA, has explicitly advocated for transgender "inclusion."

Cunningham, though, is authentically herself -- even when that runs counter to the WNBA norm. "You see so many people change or try to fit into a box," she said. "I don't even know what that box is. It's a fake box. Everyone wants to look the same. Everyone wants the same vibe. Screw that. I'm gonna be me."

"People love me or they really frickin' hate me," Cunningham added. "I just don't care."

Cunningham's bold stance earned praise on social media. Female sports advocate Riley Gaines commented, "In a world full of Megan Rapinoes, be a Sophie Cunningham."