Riley Gaines praises Sophie Cunningham for transgender athlete stance

Riley Gaines praised WNBA star Sophie Cunningham on Friday, saying she’s a rare voice of courage speaking out against biological males competing in women’s sports despite competing in what Gaines called “the wokest league of all time.”

Gaines is a former NCAA swimmer and “The Riley Gaines Show,He applauded Cunningham’s refusal to back down on protecting women’s locker rooms, calling her “the first current top female athlete” to take such a stance in the professional league.

“It’s easy to say that men aren’t women and that men shouldn’t play women’s sports. That’s not easy to say when you’re in Sophie Cunningham’s position. It’s incredibly difficult. It takes tremendous courage,” Gaines said.

“If you’re Sophie Cunningham, who plays in the WNBA, the slickest league of all time in history, it takes a lot of courage to say exactly what she did. And that makes her the first top female athlete in a truly professional league to say so.”

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Earlier this week, Cunningham explained his stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports to ESPN: “I got a lot of negative feedback that I hated trans people. And I said, ‘I never once said that.'”

“I think I’m here to spread love. But I also think love is truth and honesty. And I want to protect young girls in the locker room or young girls in sports who shouldn’t be pitted against biological males,” Cunningham said.

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Since her comments emerged, Cunningham has received online support from several Republican lawmakers and women’s sports advocates, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Eric Schmitt. R-Mo.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham smiles after falling in the second half of a game Friday, May 15, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Washington Mystics defeated Indiana Fever 104-102 in overtime. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Gaines stated that he does not believe Cunningham is in this for the praise and that his opinion could actually cost the Indiana Fever star opportunities.

“To be clear, I don’t think Sophie did it or said it because she wanted fame,” Gaines said.

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“I’ll put myself in his shoes. You have to imagine he’s worried about losing opportunities. Maybe he’s even still worried about it. But he said it and he stood by it because he felt it was the right, moral, and fair thing to do,” he added.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reacts after scoring in the second half of a WNBA game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, May 17, 2026. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Jennifer Sey, CEO of women’s activewear brand XX-XY Athletics, told Fox News Digital that she wanted to bring Cunningham to the brand, calling her “the perfect person for us.”

“Not only is he a great athlete, he is a professional athlete who is currently competing,” Sey said. “He has such an incredible personality. He’s fun, he’s funny, he’s tough, he says what he thinks, and that’s what we’re all about.”

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Sey revealed that he first connected with Cunningham after XX-XY Athletics released its “Dear Nike” ad in October 2024. The ad called on the sportswear giant to take a public stance against biological males competing in women’s sports and garnered more than 10 million views.

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According to Sey, Cunningham liked and commented on the original ad, then sent a private direct message on social media praising it. However, Sey said he could not see the message for months because it fell into a folder containing messages from accounts he did not follow.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.