The Dallas Wings host the Indiana Fever on Thursday night at American Airlines Center, and a news conference and rally are planned outside the arena hours before tipoff.
CBS Texas reports Texas Values, Moms for Liberty, Moms for America and the Independent Council on Women’s Sports will hold a 4 p.m. news conference by the jumbotron outside the AAC. The Wings-Fever game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The groups say they are supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham after she told ESPN last month she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” She later said the position is “common sense” and denied hating transgender people.
Texas Values and a number of organizations including @Moms4Liberty, @momsforamerica, @icons_women, and others will be holding a press conference at 4p.m. on Thursday, August 20 outside the American Airlines Center in front of the large jumbotron. The press conference and rally is… pic.twitter.com/WAXeyZOPnO
— Texas Values (text txvalues to 797979 for update) (@txvalues) August 18, 2026
Texas Values posted the event details on X. Similar rallies for and against Cunningham’s stance have appeared at other Fever road games, including in Seattle, Portland and Minnesota, according to The Athletic.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association issued a statement denouncing “hate, abuse, and demonization” of transgender people after the backlash. ESPN reported a WNBA task force of team presidents and general managers discussed transgender athletes this month but announced no new eligibility rules. The league said there are no immediate eligibility cases and denounced efforts to demean others.
Cunningham has said she wants the focus back on basketball. The Fever are in Dallas after beating Toronto on Tuesday. The teams also played last week in Indiana.
No counter-rally has been formally announced for Thursday. Arena security and Dallas police typically handle large crowds on game nights. Cunningham is not listed as a speaker at the outdoor news conference.
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