Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Reaffirms Support for Transgender Community Amidst Ongoing Debate

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve once more voiced her support for the transgender community on Thursday. Her comments followed her team's 86-66 victory over the Indiana Fever at the Target Center, a game that coincided with competing demonstrations outside the arena regarding transgender athletes in women's sports—the third such occasion this season.

Reeve's post-game remarks marked at least the fourth instance this season where she has publicly discussed transgender issues during a WNBA media session.

"I think that’s probably one of the more meaningful things that would mark the season for me," Reeve stated. "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."

Coach Reeve's Stance and Actions

Earlier in the season, Reeve visibly demonstrated her solidarity by wearing a "Trans Kids Belong" T-shirt during the Lynx’s home game against Indiana on August 2. This gesture came shortly after Fever guard Sophie Cunningham publicly advocated for excluding biological males from women’s and girls’ sports.

Reeve described wearing the shirt as a "small gesture," yet she noted that messages from transgender individuals and their families transformed it into one of the most impactful moments of her season.

"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," Reeve explained. "It’s something I believe in, obviously, wholeheartedly."

She continued, "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."

Ongoing Public Debate and Athlete Perspectives

The August 2 game between the Lynx and Fever also saw Reeve and Cunningham engage in a discussion at midcourt prior to tip-off. Reeve later indicated that both coaches recognized their public platforms and their shared interest in educating people, despite holding differing views on the topic.

Thursday's game was again met with a "Save Women's Sports" rally outside the Target Center, supporting Sophie Cunningham's position for the second time this season, which in turn prompted counter-protests from pro-trans advocates. A similar demonstration had also occurred outside the Lynx's game against the Golden State Valkyries on August 19.

Reeve first addressed the subject in July following Supreme Court rulings that upheld state laws restricting transgender participation in women’s sports. At that time, she characterized the political emphasis on the issue as "sort of sickening" and asserted that "exclusion is never the answer."

She revisited the topic before the August 2 game against Indiana, when the initial rally supporting Cunningham took place. While Reeve defended the demonstrators’ right to assemble, she challenged the notion that transgender athletes represent one of the most critical issues facing women’s sports.

"Every kid has a right to sports, regardless of gender diverse, transgender," Reeve stated at the time, acknowledging that eligibility questions become more complex after puberty.

Following that game, Reeve spoke about her conversation with Cunningham and reiterated her conviction that transgender children should have access to sports. She also suggested that activists concentrating on transgender participation were overlooking other significant challenges confronting female athletes, such as inadequate facilities, uniforms, and locker rooms.

Cunningham has consistently maintained that her stance is not driven by animosity.

"I think that I am here to extend love," Cunningham previously remarked. "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."

League Response and Season Wrap-Up

The ongoing debate prompted the WNBA to facilitate discussions with team leaders during the season. The league confirmed there were no immediate transgender eligibility issues directly impacting the WNBA, while emphasizing that fairness, competitive integrity, and inclusion were among its core priorities. To date, no transgender woman has played in the league.

Following Thursday’s victory, Minnesota concluded the regular season with a league-leading 33-11 record. Indiana, with a 28-16 record, entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.