Who knew even being neutral in a controversial matter would result in a backlash? But as things stand, that’s what Caitlin Clark is facing after deferring Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham‘s comments about transgender participation in women’s sports to the league office. But renowned author Dr. Anna Baeth deems the hate against Clark unnecessary.
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“What I find so curious about this case with the Fever recently, um, is all of the scrutiny that people who are affiliated with, you know, that franchise are under, right? So, we’ve seen it with Caitlin Clark,” Dr. Baeth said on No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show. “We saw it with Aaliyah Boston recently getting asked questions about their opinions about not just this topic but about their teammates’ opinions.
“And for me, I’m kind of surprised that we’re allowing for it. Mostly because it’s like I don’t know. I take a step back, and I’m like, don’t scrutinize how I’m being a teammate to somebody, right? Like, or it’s not even just a teammate. It’s like these are co-workers. Isn’t it like isn’t it weird that we’re asking people about their opinions about somebody else’s opinion? I don’t know. It just seems like all of this spectacle for what?”
The entire controversy began with one particular decision of the WNBA stakeholders. The recent Collective Bargaining Agreement between the WNBA and the Players Association (WNBPA) maintained the regulation that “only players who are women are eligible,” but did not define gender identity.
And then on July 21, an ESPN feature profile quoted the Indiana Fever guard voicing her support for barring transgender girls and women from competing in female sports.
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” she said.
Sophie Cunningham’s comments went viral, garnering attention while receiving both support and backlash. When the Fever travelled to play the Seattle Storm on July 28, 2026, a small pro-Cunningham rally even gathered outside the arena, expressing gratitude towards Cunningham for standing up for girls.
A few days later, on July 31, before a game against the Portland Fire, opposing groups of protesters gathered outside the arena. On top of that, Cunningham even faced loud boos from the crowd inside the stadium whenever she handled the ball.
Following that game, when the Fever went to face the Minnesota Lynx on August 2, Sophie Cunningham in particular received a similar hostile environment. But during the post-game, Caitlin Clark was asked to share her two cents on the matter. She replied:
“I think it’s for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions, but our focus is on basketball.”
Clark wanted to steer herself away from being involved in Cunningham’s matter. Yet, many personalities from the community, including veteran journalist Megyn Kelly, called Clark a “coward” for seemingly refusing to take a public stand on the transgender athlete debate.
But Dr. Anna Baeth, who is the author of Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, remains skeptical about the backlash against Caitlin Clark.