Gaines Endorses Cunningham Following Viral Performance Amid Trans Athlete Debate
The endorsement comes as Enes Kanter Freedom cites Cunningham as a role model and a recent poll reveals significant public discomfort with transgender participation in female athletics.
Riley Gaines has publicly endorsed Sophie Cunningham following a viral video of the Indiana Fever guard performing with country musician Clayton Anderson. The former college swimmer posted a two-word comment on X, describing Cunningham as “America’s sweetheart,” after the clip of their performance at Anderson’s Indianapolis venue, Clayton’s Country Bar, gained traction online.
The video, which features Cunningham singing Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue” alongside Anderson, has accumulated 1.5 million views. The performance occurred after the Indiana Fever defeated the Dallas Wings on Friday, with Anderson spotting the guard and inviting her to join him on stage.
This endorsement marks the latest in a series of public supports from Gaines, who has defended Cunningham against criticism regarding her position on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Since an ESPN profile aired last month, Gaines has consistently aligned herself with the Fever star, highlighting the intersection of athletic performance and political advocacy.
Gaines previously posed for a photograph with Cunningham after a game against the Minnesota Lynx on 2 August. She shared the image on social media, recreating Cunningham’s viral finger-pointing meme with the caption “Little girls belong.” When DiJonai Carrington committed a hard foul against Cunningham a week later, Gaines attributed the physicality to the guard’s stance that “men have no place in women’s sports.”
Enes Kanter Freedom, an athlete who has declared for the WNBA draft to challenge league eligibility guidelines, also praised Cunningham. In an interview with Bruce Pearl of the America First Policy Institute, Freedom called Cunningham a “role model off the court” and stated she is “the player I want to be like one day.”
The renewed attention surrounding Cunningham’s comments coincides with the resurfacing of a 2025 Pew Research poll, which indicates that 73% of Americans are uncomfortable with transgender athletes participating in women’s sports. This data point underscores the broader cultural and policy debates currently influencing discussions on sports governance and eligibility.
