Media personality Katie Nolan faced backlash from OutKick staff on Friday following her critical remarks regarding Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. During a recent podcast episode, Nolan targeted the WNBA star over her stance on transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Nolan suggested that Cunningham lacked critical thinking skills, accusing the athlete of failing to question narratives provided by those who are highly invested in divisive topics.
The controversy stems from a previous interview where Cunningham spoke with ESPN about her position on the matter. Addressing claims that she holds bias against transgender individuals, Cunningham clarified her stance, stating she never expressed hatred but wants to ensure young girls do not have to compete against biological males in locker rooms or sports. "And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said. Nolan characterized this viewpoint as a failure to employ critical thinking, claiming the athlete was being used to sell a divisive message.
OutKick reporter Bobby Burack responded to Nolan on X, formerly known as Twitter, by pointing to her past commentary on Tom Brady. Burack highlighted that Nolan once criticized Brady for training outside during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a hypocrisy in her current questioning of Cunningham's intellect. He wrote that Nolan, who claims the Fever guard lacks critical thinking for wanting to keep males out of female locker rooms, previously had a breakdown on YouTube because Brady broke quarantine to train.
OutKick founder Clay Travis also joined the conversation, defending the Fever guard. While Travis did not explicitly name Nolan, he reposted her comments and criticized the perspective that it is inclusive to allow men to play in women's sports. He described this viewpoint as textbook toxic empathy, arguing that such proponents disregard the women who are ultimately excluded from their own sports as a result.
