Clark Lowers Bar: White Female Athlete Mocked by Black Podcaster for Defending Locker Room Privacy
Former male athlete and now podcaster Ryan Clark publicly mocked Sophie Cunningham for defending girls. The latest clash with the sports establishment raises a question that should be impossible to avoid: Why is a white female athlete being mocked by a black male podcaster and former athlete, when that female athlete advocates for protecting women? Craig DeRoche, president and CEO of Family Policy Alliance, can address the larger cultural battle behind Cunningham’s comments and the backlash now coming from former ESPN commentator Ryan Clark.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FAMILY POLICY ALLIANCE
- Ryan Clark mocked Cunningham’s stats instead of addressing her locker-room concerns.
- Cunningham is defending female privacy, safety and dignity.
- Women shouldn’t need superstar status to defend women’s spaces.
- The controversy exposes a growing double standard against outspoken female athletes.
- Craig DeRoche can explain why sex-based spaces still matter.
Cunningham has been outspoken about protecting women’s sports and the privacy of female athletes, including concerns about biological males entering women’s locker rooms. Rather than directly address those concerns, Clark used his appearance on The Pivot to ridicule Cunningham over her statistics, pointing to her scoring average as though her performance on the basketball court somehow determines whether she has earned the right to discuss women’s privacy and safety.
Clark Lowers the Bar
That response is revealing. Cunningham wasn’t making a statistical argument. She was raising questions about whether female athletes should be expected to share intimate spaces with biological males—and whether girls should be required to surrender privacy in the name of inclusion.
Clark could have challenged Cunningham’s claims. Instead, he attacked the messenger.
That creates a much bigger issue for the WNBA. Women have spent decades fighting for opportunities in sports, equal treatment and the ability to compete in female-only categories. Yet when a female athlete raises concerns about biological sex, she can suddenly find herself ridiculed by the very institutions that claim to champion women’s voices.
DeRoche can explain why Cunningham’s controversy isn’t merely another WNBA spat. It reflects a broader collision between women’s rights and an ideology that increasingly treats biological sex as irrelevant. He can also address why protecting female-only locker rooms, bathrooms and athletic competition remains essential to preserving the privacy, safety and dignity of women and girls.
The Clark controversy also exposes an obvious double standard: If Cunningham’s argument is wrong, why not debate it? Why resort to mocking her scoring statistics? Does a woman need to be a superstar before she is allowed to express concerns about her own privacy?
Cunningham may have been talking about a locker room, but the controversy has become a referendum on whether women are still permitted to establish boundaries around their own bodies and spaces. DeRoche can explain why that question extends far beyond basketball—and why dismissing women who raise it may ultimately expose the WNBA’s deeper problem.
Relevant Article(s):
Let Parents Parent – Family Policy Alliance
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What does Ryan Clark’s response to Sophie Cunningham reveal about the way women are treated when they challenge gender ideology?
- Why did Clark attack Cunningham’s scoring statistics rather than address her concerns about women’s locker-room privacy?
- Should a woman’s basketball statistics determine whether she has the right to speak about protecting women and girls?
- Why are concerns about biological males entering female locker rooms dismissed rather than debated on their merits?
- What does this controversy say about the growing pressure on female athletes to remain silent about biological sex?
- Are women’s privacy and safety being sacrificed in the name of ideological conformity?
- Why should protecting girls’ locker rooms and female-only athletic spaces remain non-negotiable?
- Does the backlash against Cunningham expose a broader cultural effort to silence women who defend sex-based boundaries?
ABOUT CRAIG DEROCHE…
Craig DeRoche serves as President and CEO of Family Policy Alliance, the central hub of the pro-family movement, equipping citizens, churches, and elected officials to protect children, defend parents’ rights, and advance biblical values through civic engagement. Under Craig’s leadership, FPA and its network of 40 state family policy councils have helped lead major national campaigns including Save Girls Sports, Help Not Harm, After Roe, and Let Parents Parent.
Craig previously served as Speaker of the House in Michigan and president of Justice Fellowship, founded by Watergate figure, Chuck Colson. He is a frequent speaker and author on faith, culture, public policy, and civic engagement and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fox News, and Christianity Today. Craig is also a devoted husband and father and the author of Highly Functional and Outrageous Justice.
TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW, CALL OR TEXT 512-966-0983 OR EMAIL BOOKINGS@SPECIALGUESTS.COM
