Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Reiterates Support for Transgender Community After Season Finale

<p>Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve voiced support for the transgender community on Thursday following her team's 86-66 victory over the Indiana Fever at Target Center. This marks the fourth time this season that Reeve has addressed transgender issues during a WNBA media session.</p><p>Reeve stated, "I think that’s probably one of the more meaningful things that would mark the season for me. It’s that the transgender community is one that deserves our support, and what is happening in the name of some issues of transgender in sports — it’s really an attack on all transgender community. They don’t want transgender people to exist."</p><p>Reeve previously wore a "Trans Kids Belong" T-shirt during the Lynx’s home game against Indiana on August 2. This game followed comments from Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who supported keeping biological males out of women’s and girls’ sports.</p><p>On Thursday, activists held a rally outside the Target Center in support of Cunningham, which was met by pro-trans counterprotesters. A similar rally occurred during the Lynx's game against the Golden State Valkyries on August 19.</p><p>During the August 2 game, Reeve and Cunningham were seen discussing the issue at midcourt. Reeve noted that both understood their platforms and shared an interest in educating the public despite differing views.</p><p>Reeve described wearing the T-shirt as a "small gesture," but emphasized the significance of the messages she received from transgender individuals and their families. She said, "The amount of communication of people who were affected by something as simple as wearing a T-shirt in support of them and helping them be seen — with the platform that we have in professional sports, it was a small gesture by me. It’s something I believe in, obviously, wholeheartedly."</p><p>She added, "If I could have helped just one to feel differently about themselves, because for the transgender community this really is about life and death for them. The number of parents of transgender kids that I heard from and how it helped them and their families, it helped their child think differently about themselves and that there is someone in our position, like we have as a leader. To know that there are people out there that believe in them, that they belong."</p><p>Reeve first spoke on this topic during a July media availability after the Supreme Court upheld state laws restricting transgender participation in women’s sports. She described the political focus on the issue as "sort of sickening" and stated, "exclusion is never the answer."</p><p>She reiterated her stance before the Lynx’s August 2 game, defending the right to protest while rejecting claims that transgender athletes were a major issue in women’s sports. Reeve remarked, "Every kid has a right to sports, regardless of gender diverse, transgender," while acknowledging that eligibility questions become more complex after puberty.</p><p>After the game, Reeve discussed her conversation with Cunningham and reaffirmed her belief that transgender children should have access to sports. She also pointed out that activists focusing on transgender participation were overlooking other challenges faced by female athletes, such as inadequate facilities and uniforms.</p><p>Cunningham has stated that her position is not based on hatred, saying, "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men."</p><p>The WNBA has engaged in discussions with team leaders regarding the debate. The league indicated that there are no immediate transgender eligibility issues affecting the WNBA, while emphasizing fairness, competitive integrity, and inclusion as priorities. No transgender woman has played in the league.</p><p>Minnesota concluded the regular season with a league-best 33-11 record after Thursday’s victory, while Indiana finished at 28-16 and entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.</p>