Seattle Storm’s Stephanie Dolson Wears Controversial T-Shirt

On Tuesday, Stephanie Dolson of the Seattle Storm donned a T-shirt that targeted Sophie Cunningham, the star player of the Indiana Fever, regarding her views on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Dolson, known as “Big Mama Steph” for her robust physique, wore a shirt that declared, “Transgender rights are human rights.”

The message seemed aimed at appealing to leftist supporters while opposing the transgender debate. This came after Cunningham’s recent statements, where she expressed her advocacy for protecting women’s sports from the participation of transgender athletes.

Cunningham has publicly shared her perspective, emphasizing that while she does not harbor hate towards transgender individuals, she believes they should not compete in women’s sports. “I’ve faced a lot of backlash for supposedly hating trans people, and I want to clarify: I never said that,” she told ESPN.

She continued, “I think I’m here to spread love, but that needs to be honest and true. Young girls deserve to feel safe in their locker rooms and not compete against biological men.”

Positioned as somewhat neutral, Cunningham expressed, “I see value in both sides of the argument and have my own disagreements too, but that often gets lost in translation.” At 6-foot-1, her height adds to her visibility on the court.

As Cunningham entered the arena on Tuesday, she was met with boos from the Seattle fans. However, the mood shifted when the Fever went on to secure a victory against the Storm, ending the game at 105-95.

Afterward, the media attempted to create a narrative by prompting the Fever to engage in a rally against trans participation outside the Storm’s “Climate Pledge Arena.” The rally, which drew a crowd of a few dozen prior to the game, did not gain the traction they hoped for. When post-game inquiries arose, the Fever refrained from commenting further, stating that neither the team nor Cunningham was associated with the rally’s organizers.