PATRIOT: Sophie Cunningham chants USA, sings Toby Keith classic in Indy bar after Fever win
Video of Cunningham performing on top of the bar at Clayton’s Country Bar circulated on social media following the game.
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Video of Cunningham performing on top of the bar at Clayton’s Country Bar circulated on social media following the game.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham sang Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue” at an Indianapolis bar Friday night, hours after the Fever defeated the Dallas Wings 98-87. Video of Cunningham performing on top of the bar at Clayton’s Country Bar circulated on social media following the game.
The Fever improved to eight wins in their last 10 games with the victory over Dallas. Cunningham has also received attention in recent weeks for comments about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. During an ESPN interview last month, Cunningham addressed criticism she received after expressing her views on the issue.
https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/2088760349365563794
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Cunningham told the outlet. “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.”
Cunningham defended the comments again days later, clarifying: “I said what I said, I think it’s common sense,” Cunningham told reporters. “I think I’ll always believe in that, it’s really important to protect children. And that’s little girls, who are also involved in that category. I stand by what I said, and I’ll always believe that.”
Her comments have drawn responses around the WNBA. Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt reading “Trans Kids Belong” during a game against Indiana earlier this month. There have also been rallies supporting Cunningham outside several Fever road games.
Cunningham was involved in another incident last Saturday during Indiana's game against the Chicago Sky. Sky player DiJonai Carrington struck Cunningham in the face during a layup attempt and was assessed a flagrant 2 foul before being ejected.
Carrington later posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever” on Threads. She subsequently said the post was not referring to the foul call.
“I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption),” she wrote. “Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych. Furthermore, I’m the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on ‘white privilege,’ do ya research on that one. I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject.
“I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it.”
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