NFL legend praises Sophie Cunningham for saying ‘what’s true’ about transgender athletes in girls sports
Brian Urlacher is hardly a WNBA fan, but the NFL legend cannot help but watch Sophie Cunningham.
“She’s great. Bro, she’s so fun to watch… It’s unbelievable. She’s so aggressive. She’s fun to watch. I follow her on Instagram. She’s got great stuff out there,” the former Chicago Bears linebacker told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
But now, Urlacher is an even bigger fan of the Indiana Fever guard.
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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham brings the ball up court against the Connecticut Sun on July 22, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Urlacher told Fox News Digital last month that he follows the transgender-athlete issue “closely,” so when Cunningham said “young girls…shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in sports, Urlacher was ecstatic.
“She just says what’s true. She says common-sense things, and she gets so much backlash. She’s like, ‘Men should not be playing in women’s sports.’ Why is that so controversial? I don’t get it. I don’t understand it,” Urlacher said.
The Hall of Famer also praised Cunningham for continuing to stand by her sentiments.
“It’s a simple statement. She stood by it. That’s what I love about when people say things: Don’t back down. If you say something, stand by it. And she said it. She backed it up. She’s not backing down, no matter how much heat she gets from certain people,” Urlacher said.
“It’s an 80-20 issue. Eighty percent of the country thinks it’s true. The 20% is crushing her. Let them. Who cares? But I love that she didn’t back down. I love everything she stands for. She plays hard. She’s good. Like I said, I don’t watch the WNBA, but I like those two girls (Cunningham and Caitlin Clark) right there.”
Indiana Fever superstars Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark are arguably the two most popular players in the WNBA. (NBAE via Getty Images)
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Urlacher also noted that Cunningham probably took a risk in expressing her opinion, given that her peers are largely liberal or part of the gay community.
“It’s a liberal and mostly gay league, which is fine. I have no problem. My daughter is gay. No problem. I’ve got no problem with that… But man, what do you do, right? She said what she said. I cannot disagree with her,” he said.
Since her comments surfaced, Cunningham has received support online from various Republican lawmakers and advocates for women’s sports, including Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.
“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,” Cunningham said last week.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reacts after scoring during the second half of a WNBA game against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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“I’m not a very political person, but I do have beliefs. I have morals, and I’ll always stand on those.”
OutKick’s Alejandro Avila contributed to this report.
