Sophie Cunningham’s mom highlights major US Olympics gender rules change after Donald Trump’s order

Sophie Cunningham’s mom highlights major US Olympics gender rules change after Donald Trump’s order (Source: Imagn)
Sophie Cunningham’s mom highlights major US Olympics gender rules change after Donald Trump’s order (Source: Imagn)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's mom, Paula, highlighted a major U.S. Olympics rule change on Saturday. Sharing a snippet, she pointed to the gender rule change barring trans athletes from women's categories under an order by Donald Trump.

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Paula brought attention to the rule change by sharing an ABC News headline from July 22 on Instagram. The article reported that transgender women will no longer represent the United States in women’s events at the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Sophie Cunningham's mom Paula highlights the latest gender rule change under Donald Trump (Source: Instagram/Paula Cunningham)
Sophie Cunningham's mom Paula highlights the latest gender rule change under Donald Trump (Source: Instagram/Paula Cunningham)

This update stems from a newly adopted policy by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), in line with Donald Trump’s February executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports."

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The order demanded swift enforcement across schools and sports bodies, prioritizing single-sex teams and locker rooms, signaling a significant change in gender policy.

Expanding on his stance, the president said he wouldn’t “allow” men to compete and “beat” women in their divisions.

"Under the Trump administration, we will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls," Trump said.
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On Tuesday, USOPC President Gene Sykes pointed to that directive, saying the committee felt it had a clear obligation to follow the rule.

"As a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations," she expressed.

Trump’s order reshaped gender policies not just at the Olympic and Paralympic level, but also across NCAA competitions. On Tuesday, the University of Pennsylvania aligned with the administration’s stance, officially removing records and titles held by Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender athlete.

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Sophie Cunningham's ex-teammate Natasha Cloud once called her out for her pro-Trump stance

Though well-liked in the Indiana Fever locker room, Sophie Cunningham faced some rocky moments during her time with the Phoenix Mercury, notably tied to her political views. While she never openly endorsed Donald Trump, she once reshared a post mocking Kamala Harris.

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The move didn’t sit well with former teammate Natasha Cloud, who responded by saying she would hold those around her “accountable.”

"I’m absolutely going to keep tweeting FACTUAL information. And holding those around me accountable for posting dangerous misinformation. Yes." Cloud wrote.

However, both players have since moved on from Phoenix to the Eastern Conference—Cloud now with the New York Liberty, and Cunningham establishing herself as a key part of the Indiana Fever rotation.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
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