The WNBA Is Completely Falling Apart

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Brett Cooper Show

Episode: "The WNBA Is Completely Falling Apart"

Host: Brett Cooper
Date: August 12, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper explores the ongoing controversies and conflicts engulfing the WNBA, particularly around the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, player-owner altercations, increasing political polarization within the league, and how these issues are reflecting and amplifying broader generational and cultural divides in America. Cooper dissects various incidents, reactions, and online firestorms, providing commentary with her characteristic critical and sarcastic tone.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Transgender Athlete Debate in Women’s Sports

• [00:00-01:48]
  • Brett opens by framing the trans-athlete debate as a long-running culture war flashpoint, noting that, “More often than not, the way it works is... everyone goes back to their lives and they move on to the next crash current thing. But this time, what’s happening with the WNBA, it does feel a little bit different.”
  • She emphasizes that the “tide has really turned” since WNBA player Sophie Cunningham’s controversial ESPN statement opposing biological boys playing in women’s sports.
  • Notable moment: Two teenage girls were verbally assaulted by a “geriatric lesbian co-owner of the Seattle team” at a recent game, casting a spotlight on the intensity and generational divides within the activism around the issue.

2. In-League Turmoil: Players, Coaches, and Divided Locker Rooms

• [01:48-02:55]
  • Anti- and pro-trans protesters now regularly confront each other at games.
  • Players like Sophie Cunningham are heckled; coaches are wearing politically charged T-shirts; for example, “The Minnesota Lynx coach wore a T-shirt that read, ‘trans kids belong’ at their game,” which Brett notes was pointedly timed and targeted.
  • Coach Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever is criticized for what Brett calls a “disconnected” response to her players’ challenges, especially Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark, who are at the center of multiple controversies.

3. Satirical Protests: NBA Players Declare for WNBA Draft

• [03:40-06:37]
  • Two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, publicly declare as transgender and announce their intention to enter the WNBA draft in protest, challenging the league’s policies on gender.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • Enes Kanter Freedom:
      “[04:13] After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I am officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect... I am simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone.”
    • Royce White:
      “[06:01] ...I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of basketball... I do whatever the coach needs me to do. I’ll do whatever the girls need me to do.”
  • Brett highlights these announcements as both viral stunts and substantive challenges to what she sees as an incoherent policy.

4. The WNBA’s Dilemma: Redefining “Woman”

• [06:37-08:50]
  • The league faces external and internal pressure to clearly define what constitutes a "woman" for eligibility.
  • The commissioner announces “listening sessions” and “nuanced discussions,” which Brett dismisses as pointless:
    • “[07:15] ...You are the commissioner of the WNBA w women. You don’t need to have listening sessions with all of your black lesbian angry players... It’s literally in the name. It’s quite simple.”
  • Brett compares this to other sports organizations moving toward sex-based testing, urging similar clarity in the WNBA.

5. On-Court Conflict: The Sophie Cunningham Incident

• [08:50-13:13]
  • A physical altercation between Sophie Cunningham and Dijonai Carrington draws additional media and social attention.
  • Brett critiques the Indiana Fever coach for seeming indifference to Cunningham’s injury, favoring concern for Carrington, the player who committed the flagrant foul.
  • Brett contextualizes the intensity: “80% of Americans agree that men should not be playing women’s sports. It is a milquetoast issue. Regardless of the screaming radical people in the WNBA, they do not represent the majority of Americans.” ([10:59])

6. The “White Privilege” Social Media Controversy

• [13:13-18:15]
  • After being ejected for her flagrant foul, Dijonai Carrington posts “White Privilege” on Threads and tags the opposing team, igniting backlash and debate.
  • Emmanuel Acho responds on his podcast:
    • “[15:49] Dijonai Carrington made a basketball play and the refs made a basketball ruling. So can we stick to basketball for a moment?... To call that a white privilege-based foul is to completely undermine the term of white privilege and to also completely ignore the rules in basketball.”
  • Brett extends the critique:
    • “[17:03] ...throwing [the term] around when you’re unhappy with something... dilutes the term white privilege.”
  • Brett elaborates that Sophie Cunningham (like Dijonai) had previously been ejected for similar actions and acknowledged she “deserved it,” rejecting claims that race drove disciplinary outcomes.

7. Online Backlash & “Media Literacy” Debates

• [18:15-23:00]
  • Carrington defends her post, denying she meant the foul ruling was about white privilege, and touts her academic credentials in African American studies without clarifying her intent.
  • Brett mocks this evasion: “If you’re going to elicit a firestorm... you might as well give the context so people know what they're responding to.”
  • Emmanuel Acho retorts, “America is a speaker-oriented country, so the burden is on you for being clear.”
  • Fans and online defenders rush to Carrington’s side, arguing that misunderstanding is the audience’s fault rather than the speaker’s responsibility.
  • Brett deconstructs these arguments as performative, concluding: “You cannot just post white privilege, tag the other team... and expect people to just move on.”

8. Connecting Cultural Threads: Race, Gender, and Polarization

• [23:00-end]
  • Brett notes that the WNBA’s controversies are increasingly entangled with 2020s-era debates over race and gender, including references to BLM and Fauci.
  • She urges the league to adopt sex testing and “protect the league that you fought to create for these biological women,” framing this as a matter of fairness, not bigotry.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It is the toxically masculine men of the NBA stepping in to defend women. The irony, of course...” ([00:27] Brett Cooper)
• “After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I am officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect.” ([04:13] Enes Kanter Freedom)
• “If simply declaring who you are is all that's required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.” ([04:13] Enes Kanter Freedom)
• “I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of basketball, professional basketball.” ([06:01] Royce White)
• “You are undermining the rules of basketball by just blaming white privilege or racism instead of acknowledging the fact that you did something wrong.” ([17:03] Brett Cooper)
• “America is a speaker-oriented country, so the burden is on you for being clear, direct and easy to understand.” ([19:45] Paraphrased, Emmanuel Acho)
• “80% of Americans agree that men should not be playing women’s sports. It is a milquetoast issue.” ([10:59] Brett Cooper)

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Major Segments & Timestamps

• Opening & Framing the Debate: [00:00-01:48]
• WNBA In-League Responses & Protests: [01:48-03:40]
• NBA Players’ Satirical Declarations: [03:40-06:37]
• League Policy and “What Is a Woman?” Debate: [06:37-08:50]
• Sophie Cunningham & Dijonai Carrington Incident: [08:50-13:13]
• "White Privilege" Social Media Response: [13:13-18:15]
• Online Backlash and Media Literacy Debate: [18:15-23:00]
• Closing Reflections on Culture Wars: [23:00-end]

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Summary Takeaways

• The WNBA is at a crossroads, struggling to clarify its gender-related eligibility requirements amidst intense social and internal pressure.
• Viral stunts by ex-NBA players and sharp, highly publicized conflicts—like the "white privilege" social post and the Sophie Cunningham foul—are exposing and amplifying these unresolved questions for the league and its fanbase.
• Brett Cooper argues that while activists frame these as nuanced social justice issues, the vast majority of Americans see them as straightforward questions of fairness and biology.
• As culture war tropes from the early 2020s resurface, the host urges the WNBA to “protect the league” for women, warning that continued ambiguity could undermine its integrity and alienate its core supporters.

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Overall Tone:
Candid, combative, and sarcastic—Brett Cooper maintains a critical, often mocking stance toward league officials, activists, and what she sees as the performative nature of much online discourse on these topics.

Transcript

[A]

My friends, we have had the trans men and women's sports debate thousands of times over the last four, five, six years. And more often than not, the way it works is that, you know, a situation goes viral, people get angry, there's fighting, there's protesting, there's man on the street interviews where, you know, liberals are saying absolutely asinine things. But it's rare that changes actually get made because eventually, as you know, it happens in the modern media. The coverage dies down, everyone goes back to their lives and they move on to the next crash current thing. But this time, what's happening with the wnba, it does feel a little bit different, especially because the tide really has turned over the last decade or so and things just continue to be amplified more and more since Sophie Cunningham's common sense statement that she gave to ESPN in an interview earlier this month. And now, funnily enough, it is the toxically masculine men of the NBA stepping in to defend women. The irony of course, since the last time we spoke about Sophie Cunningham, obviously a lot happening now. During the Indiana Fever Seattle Storm game, two teenage girls were attacked and literally cussed out by a geriatric lesbian co owner of the Seattle team. And you can see her right here. And this was truly unsurprising to me considering the fact that we know that senior citizens in America are the most radicalized population. I mean think about the no Kings protests. It was 90% old people wearing taco outfits marching out of their nursing homes like this is not surprising. They're unstable, they are radicalized. So it's no wonder that this co owner screamed in these 16 year old girls faces. Meanwhile, Sophie Cunningham, because of the statements that she made about biological boys playing in women's sports, she is getting booed on and off the court. People are being even more aggressive towards her. Anti trans and pro trans protesters are now facing off at games, literally inside the arenas and outside beforehand. Meanwhile, at every single interview, players are getting hounded to give their opinions. I think it's trans. Trans rights now is our new battle.

[B]

That's what I think.

[A]

I was saying that like the battles have changed. Oh yes, you know, like our intention's been the same. But now that the environment has changed recently, see trans people's rights being stripped away from them, there's a lot of discourse around trans athletes and what they can compete in. I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team anytime. I don't think it's a problem in the world. It's just another way to kind of attack Trans people. I think for us, it's not really a discussion we really have in our locker room. I think it's for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions. But our focus is on basketball and that's what we talk about and how

[B]

we can get wins.

[A]

And obviously we didn't do that tonight, so need to find an area to improve in that way. And then of course, you have the coaches. I don't know if you guys have noticed this, but Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White, I believe her name is. She seems completely disconnected from her players, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham. Sophie Cunningham is going through all these things. Obviously, Caitlin Clark has been attacked and vilified for years now, and Stephanie White has nothing to say about any of it. Just keep that in mind. Now, additionally with the coaches, the Minnesota Lynx coach wore a T shirt that read, the trans kids belong at their game against the Indiana Fever, which obviously was a targeted message that she was sending to Sophie Cunningham and the people that were there in the crowd to support Sophie Cunningham and her message. Now, Cheryl, that's that coach's name. I do want to ask you, you know, trans kids belong. That all sounds good, feels really good. But what happens when those kids grow up to be, I don't know, 6 foot tall, 180 pound men? Do they still belong on your court with your female basketball players? I don't know. Well, you know what, Cheryl? We are about to find out. We are. And I have just titillated about it because two former NBA players have decided that they are declaring themselves for the upcoming WNBA draft. And why, you might add? Well, because the WNBA can't define what a woman actually is. And you know, they're wearing all these T shirts. You know, trans women belong all the things. So these men decided that they were going to actually test these new policies. As an aside, guys, I just want to say that between being angry at Fauci and talking about him all the time again and arguing over women's sports, it really feels like we have turned back the clock to 2021. I feel like I've said that in a million videos recently, but that genuinely is what it feels like. Anyway, moving on. The first brave man. Sorry, sorry, Queen woman. First brave woman who stepped forward was Inez Cantor, Freedom. And this is the video that he put out.

[B]

After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I am officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect. If simply declaring who you are is all that's required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to Compete in the WMBA My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA's eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WMBA draft in May 2027. I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices. I am simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone. The rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for. My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally consistently and without exception.

[A]

Now, my personal favorite part in this entire video is when he's sitting down, the lights go up. And as the lights come up, you just see that twist in his eye. He's kind of like winking at the camera. He's hiding a smile as he is doing this trolling. Anyway, it is just amazing. And you might be wondering, Brett, was this just a gag, a random video? No. He publicly posted today his letter that he sent for his intent to declare himself to be considered for the draft. He sent that in. It is official. Official. So we'll see what they do now. The comments, obviously were incredible. Burt Macklin tweeted and said, we are all behind you, Queen. It's not snaps anymore. What do we call this? Crab. Crabs. Crabs. Sorry. Okay. Robbie Starbuck chimed. Inez, you're the bravest lady I know. Zubi said, you have my full support sister. But, you know, this is a very brave thing that he is doing. It might feel lonely. It might feel isolating. So it is very fortunate that Inez has another queen, another sister who stepped up, and that would be former NBA player and political hopeful Royce White.

[B]

Oh. Earlier this week, I made the announcement. I'm transgender. I'm a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of basketball, professional basketball. So I'll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well. I mean, I think I'd be unstoppable, you know, But I'm a team first guy, you know, I'm a pass first kind of player. I do the little things. You know, I led my team in all five major stat categories at Iowa State University. So I do a little bit of everything. I do whatever the coach needs me to do. I'll do whatever the girls need me to do.

[A]

He's gonna. Sorry. She. She is just gonna be a team player. She is gon to step in and just help the girls on whatever team she gets drafted to bring home the championship. But it did not stop there. Because her tweets, Royce, Ms. Royce, her tweets really are the best part. Now, soon after Royce posted this and said it came y', all, my first wig. Tomorrow I test it out on the court. This is my feminine glow up. Did I slay? If y' all don't yass queen, you're transphobic. I really don't understand all the hatred. I just want to play some hoops with my fellow ladies. Royce White for us again. He is running for Senate and then he put a hashtag under that and said, let her play again. Crabs. Crab snaps. Anyway, now, my friends, other than generating clicks and virality creating an uproar on social media, obviously this is helping Royce Wright's Senate campaign. You might be asking, what is the point of all of this? Is this just another gag? Is this just trolling and it's gonna go nowhere. Are we gonna forget about this in about two months or even less than that, like two weeks? Because something else will happen? Well, I don't think so. Because the point of this is that the WNBA is now being forced to ask the age old question, what is a woman? The WNBA is the women's basketball league. And in their founding documents they talk about women playing the sport, but they don't actually define what a woman is. And now that anybody can just call themselves a woman, are they them? Whatever it is, men can menstruate, the whole thing. You really have to get clear about what a woman is and how you define that and how you test for it. Which is why, you know, the Women's Tennis association has required sex based testing. The Olympics is now requiring sex testing. So it just makes sense that, you know, in this day and age you would have to define it. But. But this seems like a very complicated, difficult thing for the WNBA to accomplish. Literally. The WNBA commissioner put out a memo saying that they were going to be meeting to thoughtfully consider their eligibility requirements and that they will be having this my favorite part, conversations and listening sessions with players to get to the bottom of this nuanced issue. Listening sessions? Woman, we are not at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. You are the commissioner of the WNBA w women. You don't need to have listening sessions with all of your black lesbian angry players, then your trans belong T shirt wearing coaches. It's literally in the name. It's quite simple. No listening sessions required. Anyway, also in this memo, she went on to say that the debate request was just nuanced. Kathy. Kathy, that's her name. This issue is anything but nuanced. And the answer is actually in, like I said, your founding documents, or better yet, the name somebody commented and said. Ladies, ladies, has anyone ever noticed this W at the start of our league's name? Does anyone have any idea what that means? That's essentially what you were saying you need to have meetings and listening sessions to accomplish. Another person posted this. I thought it was funny. He said WNBA trans players are welcome here. And as Cantor and Royce White slam their dicks on the table, hey, ladies, let's ball wnba. On second thought, we're cracking open our sixth grade biology books to learn what a woman is. It's perfect. Now, amidst this broader debate that is happening online and obviously within the wnba, their commissioners, the whole thing, fights are still happening on the court. And I mean that literally, like full altercations. And much of it is directed at Sophie Cunningham, who players presumably blame for starting all of this because again, she made an offhanded comment to espn. I'm sure that she did not expect, expect, or intend to create all of this drama. She was, in fact, keeping it off the court. She's not showing up with political T shirts, political slogans, whatever. She was asked in an interview, she answered honestly in a very fair, reasonable, milquetoast way. Because again, at this point, 80% of Americans agree that men should not be playing women's sports. It is a milquetoast issue. Regardless of the screaming radical people in the wnba, they do not represent the majority of Americans. So if you ever feel like you are crazy on this issue, like the people screeching and condemning you on the other side, if they make you feel like you are some bigoted radical, you are not actually are, because the majority of people agree with you, agree with me and understand that this is just biology. It is just common sense. Anyway, that was just an aside. I just wanted to remind you of that. So I think that they presume that she started all of this. They're angry about it. And at a game this weekend, another player, Dijonay Carrington is her name. She was ejected after flagrantly fouling Sophie. Just watch this. All right, so what you are seeing here is Sophie comes in, she's trying to shoot. That's Dijonay behind her. She's presumably coming, trying to get the ball, intercept, whatever it is. But what you see, we're going to look at a closer up right here. Let's pull up this photo. What she ends up doing is not just, oh, brushing Sophie. She, in my opinion, and in I guess the court of public opinion at large, her Arm comes down and she pulls Sophie's head and neck, and Sophie ends up on the ground. Now, this starts an altercation. Then Sophie's fighting back. She kind of like slaps Dijonay, the other thing that stood out. And this kind of goes back to what I was saying at the beginning about the Indiana Fever coach. And again, I don't know this woman, but this is just me from an outsider's perspective because there was a clip of this altercation where the camera was pointed at the Fever coach and all the players that were sitting on the sidelines on the bench. And as this is going on, the Indiana Fever coach, she rushes by Sophie Cunningham. Sophie Cunningham is being pulled off of dejanae. Dijonay is being pulled in the other direction. The Fever coach ignores her own player who just got fouled. Sophie did not start it. She was just trying to shoot the ball. She rushes past Sophie, does not even look at her and go straight to Dijonay. Are you okay? Are you okay? That is insane. That is sending a message. Now add that to the fact that as Caitlin Clark has been enduring all of these attacks, she has said nothing. You have these amazing hotshot players who are not just making waves in politics and creating all of these, you know, controversies, whatever it is, but who are bringing more and more eyes to the sport, who are inspiring young women, who are inspiring people like me, who have never watched the wnba, like the NBA, but I've never watched WNBA to tune in for games, my husband to tune in for games. And you, you can't even bother to check and see if your own player is okay because you want to go look at the woman who fouled her. That is insane. Now, I apologize because I kind of got off my main track, but I did want to acknowledge that anyway. This was not Dijonay. Just trying to get the ball, you know, this was intentional. In my opinion and most people's opinion, this was not necessary. What is necessary, in my opinion, is attending gcu. Now, people often like to say that higher education is outdated or irrelevant. Well, that is not the case when it is purpose driven education. And that is why I am a proud supporter of Grand Canyon University and why I love working with them on the show. GCU is an affordable, private, non Christian university that is based in the beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. And they do not settle for the status quo. They shatter it with academically rigorous, industry driven programs that are built to move at the speed of practical relevance with skills, career readiness and opportunity for every learner. They are recognized for excellence in academics and in campus life. And GCU's vibrant, welcoming campus was actually ranked in the top 20 best college campuses in the country by Niche.com for 2026. Now what I love about GCU is that they believe education should not be a privilege, but an affordable path forward. A practical, affordable path forward for everyone. And that is why they have frozen their tuition costs since 2009. With some 380 programs including 153 degrees, 180 emphases, and 56 certificate programs plus online hybrid in person learning, there is truly a path forward for all of you. Grounded in Christian truth, GCU works to empower the next generation to lead with integrity, serve with purpose, and help transform their communities and truly build a future that matters. So take action and find your purpose today at gcu. It's private, it's Christian, it's affordable, and it's nonprofit. Visit gcu.edu to learn more today. Now speaking of college, finding reliable sources when you are writing a paper, maybe for university or even just interesting in what is going on in the world is difficult. Which is why I use Ground News and why I am so proud to be sponsored by them. Now I'm very selective about the companies that I partner with and Ground News is a tool that I genuinely find useful as I'm doing the show every day. Instead of telling you what to think, Ground News brings together reporting from thousands of different news sources and lets you compare how different outlets are covering the same story so that you can get down to brass tacks and the truth. One of my personal favorite features is the Blind Spot feed, which highlights stories getting attention from one side of the media while being largely ignored by the other, which gives you more context so that you can make up your own mind and see where the gaps are. Now if you'd like to check out Ground News for yourself, you can get 40% off of the vantage plan by going to groundnews.com Brett or scanning the QR code on your screen. Go give it a try again. That is groundnews.com Brett or scan this QR code right here. All right, now back to the story with Dijonay and Sophie. This just took a hilarious turn because of what Dijonay posted as soon as she got to the locker room after being ejected. So she took to threads, of course, and she posted this White Privilege. And then she added she literally tagged the Indiana Fever, the other team, Sophie's Teen and oh my God, rightfully so. The Internet minds. I mean, what could this even refer to Considering the fact that she was the one who fouled Sophie Cunningham, was her facing consequences really white privilege? Does she not have been ejected because she is a strong black woman, she's so poor and oppressed, so she cannot face the consequences of her own actions. Is. Is that what she's saying? Because it sort of seems like it. So that is how, at face value, how the Internet reacted. Now, by the way, just so that you have the context here, Dijonay, she was raised in a well off family, I believe her father was an NBA player. She went to a private experience, expensive school in San Diego. Then she went to Stanford University to guess what major in African and African American studies. I wonder. That's probably where she got the white privilege line. Just saying. So anyway, I'm saying that to acknowledge the fact that this woman is hardly oppressed and lacking privilege. But anyway, moving on. One of the most viral responses to this post on Threads was from Emmanuel Aiko, who said this on his podcast.

[B]

Dijonay Carrington made a basketball play and the refs made a basketball ruling. So can we stick to basketball for a moment?

[A]

Play.

[B]

She was attempting to go for the ball. At least she said. So she missed and she missed egregiously. She missed and she flagrantly hit Sophie Cunningham in the head. Now flagrant too. By definition, if you hit somebody with so much force that it could lead to injury and if it doesn't appear to be a play on the ball, though Dijonay's intention was to play the ball, her impact was all on Sophie Cunningham's head. So as a result, the refs made the right call. Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention, have we seen Sophie Cunningham aggressively foul an individual before and not get thrown out of the game? Sure. Have we seen Caitlin Clark aggressively foul an individual by hitting them in the head and not get out of the game? Absolutely. You cannot be ignorant to that truth. But if we are paying attention to what Dijonay Carrington did to Sophie Cunningham, it was not a race based decision. And to call that a white privilege based foul is to completely undermine the term of white privilege and to also completely ignore the rules in basketball.

[A]

I mean, he's making a great point here on multiple fronts. I do have something I'm gonna push back on, but just here with what he's saying at the end, I think that something that a lot of people miss is that, yes, using the term white privilege, throwing it around when you're unhappy with something that you know has taken place, where you're having to face consequences of something that you've done. And then you turn around and just say, it's because other people have privilege over me. It's because I'm oppressed. That dilutes the term white privilege. It's like when you just, you know, run around saying, that's racist, that's racist. Well, now the term racism is diluted. Now it's something that people roll their eyes at. Now it's something that people laugh at. Even though racism actually does exist, obviously it still exists today. Most of the time when people are going, oh, that's racist, that's racist. It's not because nobody allows those words or respects them enough to let them carry the weight that they should. So now they're diluted down to meeting nothing. So that's what he's acknowledging. The first part of it, he's also saying, you are undermining the rules of basketball by just blaming white privilege or racism instead of acknowledging the fact that you did something wrong or, you know, the result of what you did ended up hurting somebody and you are facing the consequences. That's just how your sport works. That is how your industry, because this is a job for her, works. Now, the point that I will push back on are the points about Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham. Because obviously Caitlin Clark has been involved in a lot of altercations, and more often than not, she has been the one that has been aggressed. People have gone after her. She has responded. This is not her going out of her way to foul somebody. And then, most importantly, because we're dealing with Sophie here, when this has involved Sophie in the past, in previous games, which really is just one time in 2025 with JC Shelton, Sophie was ejected just like Dijonay was. She was thrown out of the game. And even in response to this incident, just last week, Sophie brought that up and said, yeah, at the time, I also deserved it. She said, I think the league is taking care of that. This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing to J.C. sheldon, and I got kicked out and I deserved to be kicked out. There is no reason to even play that card. So she's saying, I'm not trying to be above the law here. It's not white privilege. When I did this because I was defending my teammate, because I was pissed off about something that was happening on and off the court, which we can argue is what's happening with Dijonay. I also face the same consequences. So it's not about race. You are not facing some, you know, injust inequality. It is just the rules of basketball. So yeah, there certainly is not anything to do with race. Now maybe dijonay thought that her post would be better received, but I'm sorry to inform her it is not 2021 anymore. So it was not. This was her response to HO and all of her critics at large. She posted this on X. Buckle up guys, because this is really where it gets hilarious. So she replied and she said, I've never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege. That was your assumption. Try exercising your critical thinking skills. I know you studied psych. Furthermore, I am the last thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on white privilege. Do your research on that one. I actually went to school, one of the top universities, I might 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. All right now you might be thinking, brett, where's the rest of the tweet? Like, what did you cut off? What are we missing? You know, where did she reply in the comments? That's it. That is all she said. Now my response to this is, okay, all right, miseducated. You would not throw around the term white privilege because you know, the historical weight, all of those things. So why did you. It's not a rumor that you did this. It's not like somebody came out and told the press that in the locker room you were talking about race. My privilege. You tweeted it yourself. You tweeted it or posted on threads, you threaded it, whatever it is, and you tagged the opposing team. Like, is this just some sort of relic from the BLM era? Is this something that you learned at Stanford when you studied African American studies? Like, is it a reflex just to blame race every time something happens to you that's uncomfortable that makes you unhappy? Like, you face the ramifications of your actions and your reflexes to go, but perfectly white privilege. White privilege. Like that is. That's embarrassing. Now, as I alluded to a couple of seconds ago, the thing that really makes this post like a top 10 tweet of all time is the fact that she does this entire song and dance about how educated she is. She went to Stanford. She would never throw that phrase around, even though obviously she did, and how we were all in the wrong for assuming things. Lacking critical thinking skills, we are all wrong about what she meant. Nobody understands her. But Then she doesn't clarify it. She's like, you are wrong and I am not going to tell you what I mean. Okay, so if it was not the assessment of the foul that was white privilege, was it the fact that Sophie also was not ejected for retaliating after the fact? Was it the fact that she was allowed to play anyway? Just her presence on the team offended you? Is that white privilege or was it about something else entirely that we don't know about? If you're going to elicit a firestorm against another team because you literally tagged them, you might as well give the context so people know what they're responding to. Because at face value, it seems like you're talking about the assessment of this flagrant foul. I mean, clearly she wanted to send some kind of message. Again, she literally tagged the opposing team. She said white privilege, but now she's not saying what she meant. She's attacking people who are taking her words at face value. It seriously does not get more dense and self important than that. In response, Emmanuel Ho, he responded apologizing for the crime of assuming she meant what she said, assuming what a black woman meant. But he did throw in this dig at the end. So he was like, yeah, my bad, I assumed whatever. And then he said, however, America is a speaker oriented country, so the burden is on you for being clear, direct and easy to understand. Essentially saying if you want to send a message, you need to be clear about it. If you do not want to be misunderstood, it is on you to make sure that you are clear, concise, that you clarify and that you hold the responsibility. If people do not understand. And that is not the case if you know people are taking you out of context, whatever it is. But if you put a message out into the world, confidently tagging the other team, it is on you to make sure people understand what it means. And if they don't, that's not their responsibility. Even though she is arguing it is. And oh boy, after that very reasonable response again, all hell broke loose online. God forbid we take somebody's comments at face value and ask them to be clear. God forbid a black woman has to explain herself. Don't you know that she is already carrying the burden of generational trauma and now you are having to ask her what she means. That's not an exaggeration. That's not Brett being funny or crazy. That is literally how people responded. Somebody commented and said no, you just rushed quickly to be ignorant to get your claim. She doesn't have to be clear, direct and easy to Understand? Just for you to get your takes off, she doesn't owe you shit. Actually, another person said, no, it's your responsibility not to talk about topics without context. I think the context was quite clear considering the situation that was at hand. Anyway, they go on and they say, y' all all just took a narrative and ran with it. Why is a thread that only said white privilege even a discussion? Because it is a major accusation. You're also forgetting the part where she tagged the other team. Now this was my personal favorite response. This girl is like a major Dijonay fan account. And she replied and said the last paragraph is a convenient way to avoid taking full accountability for your own assumption. I can't believe now this is what we're talking about. Being in a speaker oriented culture does not absolve the listener of basic media literacy or the responsibility to distinguish between what was actually said and what they inferred. You publicly assigned meaning and context to her words that she did not provide. If your interpretation required an assumption, then the burden was on you to verify that assumption before presenting it as her position to an audience. I'm sorry, she kind of already presented her position to her audience and we have a right to infer based on the situation at hand. And then she goes on and she says, I assumed wrong, but you should have been clear. Is not standing corrected. It is standing ignorant. Okay, now the other thing I want to say is that she called out. What is it here? Basic media literacy. Okay, well, I think that basic media literacy, and actually I would just call it literacy and critical thinking is reading somebody's very clear and direct tweet, assessing the situation at hand where it is clear that she is pissed off. She is now having to be accountable for what she just did on the court. Not having any other comments or clarification from her and then basing your assumption on that this is a very talked about thing. You cannot just post white privilege, tag the other teen because of some altercation that you just had and expect people to just move on. Like, are we supposed to not assume? Are you arguing that our society should not read or trust people's words because we might assume the wrong things? Like, I'm sorry, you actually do not care about media literacy or critical thinking or context. You just want to protect your girl and you want to attack the people who are calling her out. It is all so predictable and it is incredibly tiresome. And so now to round out what I've been noticing over the last month and a half or so in classic 20212022 fashion race is also involved in this controversy. I mean my entire ex feed is fauci trans and now BLM and white privilege and I would really like off this ride. I made it through 2022 and I am choosing not to relive that right now. And basically what I want to say here is that WNBA figure your craft out. It's really not that complicated. Adopt sex testing protect the league that you fought to create for these biological women. It is actually quite simple and if any of you out there feel like you are going crazy watching this issue come up again feeling crazy because you see people in their signs cussing out girls who say we love you Sophie Cunningham booing Sophie Cunningham on the court just know you are not alone. You are not crazy. The majority of Americans even if they don't say so agree with you because this is just biology. It's just common sense. It's not bigotry. It's fairness and most people agree.