Supporters of Sophie Cunningham and Women’s Sports rallied during a press conference and rally before the WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, August 20, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Texas Values held a press conference and rally in support of Sophie Cunningham and Women’s Sports before the WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, August 20, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Teresa Thomas, Texas State Director of Texas Moms For America, speaks during a press conference hosted by Texas Values as supporters rallied in support of Sophie Cunningham and Women’s Sports before a WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, August 20, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Several politically conservative groups rallied outside the American Airlines Center Thursday in support of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, urging the WNBA to clarify eligibility rules for transgender athletes.
The rally, organized by the group Texas Values and held before the Fever played the Dallas Wings, was the latest demonstration surrounding Cunningham since she publicly opposed transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Cunningham became a focal point in the debate after telling ESPN in July that she wanted to “protect young girls in the locker room” and that girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Asked about the remarks the following day, she stood by them.
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“I said what I said,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s kind of common sense.”
The WNBA has said it has no current eligibility matter involving a transgender player. Its collective bargaining agreement limits eligibility to women but does not spell out a specific standard for transgender eligibility.
Speaking Thursday at American Airlines Center, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league has become a “political football” for people who do not regularly follow or cover it.
“We’re being the center of political football for people who have never watched the WNBA, never have written about the WNBA or reported on the WNBA,” Engelbert said during a fireside chat before the game.
Engelbert said the league denounces vitriol surrounding the debate but views some of the attention as a consequence of the WNBA’s growing profile. A task force of team presidents and general managers recently discussed transgender-athlete eligibility but did not adopt new rules, according to The News’ sports coverage.
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Mary Elizabeth Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, said her organization wants the league to establish a more explicit standard before an eligibility dispute arises.
“Just because we don’t have any known men playing in the WNBA doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen tomorrow,” Castle told The Dallas Morning News after the rally.
The debate intensified this month after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White said they identify as women and intend to seek entry into the 2027 WNBA draft as a challenge to the league’s eligibility rules.
Castle said she viewed their announcements as satire intended to draw attention to what Texas Values considers ambiguity in the WNBA’s policy.
“I do think satire can sometimes be a use of revealing the truth,” Castle said. “Maybe this will catch their attention.”
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The WNBA said last week there were “no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA” and criticized what it described as bad-faith attempts to use the issue to demean or marginalize others.
Texas Values, an Austin-based law and policy organization that advocates for faith, family and freedom, was joined Thursday by representatives of Moms for Liberty, Moms for America, Texas Eagle Forum, Patriot Mobile, Independent Women’s Network and other groups.
Mary Elizabeth Castle of Texas Values Action speaks during a press conference as supporters rallied in support of Sophie Cunningham and Women’s Sports before a WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, August 20, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Christy Slape, Texas ambassador for Moms for Liberty, said Cunningham’s willingness to speak publicly was part of what drew her organization to the rally.
“The fact that Sophie is saying that she wants to look out for the girls in the locker room, that’s huge,” Slape said.
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Texas already restricts transgender participation in public school and public university sports. A 2021 law requires public school athletes to compete according to the sex listed on their birth certificate. Lawmakers extended similar restrictions to public colleges and universities in 2023.
The U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on the broader debate in June, upholding laws in Idaho and West Virginia restricting transgender students assigned male at birth from competing on female school sports teams. The ruling concerned school athletics, not eligibility requirements for professional leagues such as the WNBA.
Among Thursday’s speakers was Kim Slusser, whose daughter, Brooke Slusser, played volleyball at San Jose State University and joined litigation challenging the participation of a transgender teammate.
Brooke Slusser and other athletes have argued that policies allowing the player to compete violated Title IX. Their allegations are part of ongoing litigation and do not by themselves establish that the university or NCAA violated federal law.
Kim Slusser said her daughter’s experience pushed her to become more outspoken.
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“I’m kind of a passive person, but now I’m like, you know, sometimes you have to just step up, stand out and say no,” she said.
Slusser said she does not view her position as hostility toward transgender people.
“I love everybody,” Slusser said. “I just don’t want them coming in and taking a woman’s scholarship or a woman’s spot on a professional team. That’s all.”
She also said she favors sex-eligibility testing for professional, college and Olympic athletes competing in women’s divisions.
Supporters of Indian Fever’s Sophie Cunningham held a press conference hosted by Texas Values before a WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, August 20, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
“I think all female athletes should have their cheek swabbed to prove they’re females,” she said.
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Related: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert calls out people ‘trying to use the league to sow divisiveness’
Thursday’s rally was not the first demonstration connected to Cunningham’s comments. Supporters and opponents of her position have gathered around previous Fever road games as the controversy has followed the team.
No organized counterprotest was apparent outside American Airlines Center during Thursday’s rally.
Afterward, organizers handed out signs supporting Cunningham and opposing transgender athletes competing in women’s sports to people heading toward the arena. Castle said several rally participants planned to attend the game and hoped Cunningham would hear about their support.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, running for U.S. Senate, attended the Fever-Wings game and posted: “As a dad of female athletes I’ll fight to keep men out of women’s sports. Proud to be repping xx-xy with my daughter tonight.” He also said the “radical trans movement has sold out our daughters.”
His Democratic opponent, state Rep. James Talarico, has opposed Texas laws restricting transgender athletes in school and college sports. Talarico has described the issue as one “where we could actually come to a policy solution,” while criticizing politicians such as Paxton for using it to divide people.
Inside the arena, however, the controversy appeared to have little visible impact.
Cunningham did not start and checked into the game with 4:55 remaining in the first quarter to little noticeable reaction from the crowd. She played fifteen scoreless minutes in the game as her team lost 91-85.
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