Indiana Fever extended their winning streak to four games as they returned to the court after the All-Star Break. However, despite the dominant 105-95 win over Seattle, the discussion inevitably shifted toward the debate surrounding Sophie Cunningham’s comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports that she made in her July 22 interview with ESPN. So the Fever clarified their position on fans from both sides showing up during the game.

Forbes reporter Roberta F. Rodrigues asked Stephanie White about the fan rally that took place in support of Cunningham. However, White didn’t answer as a representative from Fever’s public relations stepped in to deliver the team’s official response to the question.

“Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers. Our only goal as a team, whether home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we’re united on that mission,” said the Fever’s PR representative in a clip Rodrigues shared on X.

Sophie Cunningham’s comments on the issue first came into the spotlight in an ESPN profile published on July 22. In the interview, she shared her stance on transgender athletes and said her motivation was to protect “young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Her statements have since sparked a highly polarized public response, ultimately leading to demonstrations from both sides of the debate.

Specifically, demonstrators supporting Sophie Cunningham gathered outside Climate Pledge Arena with a life-size cutout of the Fever guard and several signs. At the same time, members of the LGBTQ+ community staged an immediate counterprotest at the arena plaza during the pro-Cunningham rally. In fact, the divide was apparent even among those who attended the game.

During the broadcast, cameras spotted one fan carrying the sign “NO HATE IN THE UNITED STATES,” while another fan carried a sign that read, “Thank you, Sophie for speaking up for girls.”

Cunningham herself stood her ground when the backlash started. Just ahead of their franchise record-setting 123-88 win against the Connecticut Sun last Wednesday, Cunnighham defended her views in front of the media.

“I think it’s kind of common sense. And I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. And so I’ll stand on what I said, and I’ll always believe that,” she told reporters.

Meanwhile, with the season resuming after the All-Star break, the Fever and the players focused on the game, with the Fever closing out the night with a dominant road win. Cunningham contributed 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in the victory.

Indiana will now turn its attention toward a tough stretch of games as they prepare to face No. 6 Portland Fire, followed by league leaders Minnesota Lynx and then No. 2 Las Vegas Aces.