Sophie Cunningham inspires high school athletes to speak out on fairness in women's sports

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham is receiving praise for defending women's sports, with young female athletes saying the WNBA standout's willingness to speak out has inspired them to continue advocating for fairness and safety in girls' athletics despite facing criticism themselves.

"I want to say a huge thank you to Sophie because it's really brave for her to stand up for young girls like Riley and I," said Ella Frei, a high school athlete from Wisconsin.

Appearing Thursday on "Fox & Friends," Frei and Michigan high school volleyball player Briley Lechner joined guest host Kayleigh McEnany to discuss why Cunningham's comments resonated with them.

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Frei told Fox News she was "ecstatic" to hear that the WNBA star had lent her voice to the cause, adding that she was encouraged to see an athlete with such a prominent platform speak out on a topic she believes many others have been reluctant to address.

Cunningham, a guard for the Fever, stood firm in the face of criticism Wednesday after revealing her stance on the issue to ESPN.

"I said what I said. I think it's kind of common sense," she said.

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"I think I'll always believe in that. I think it's really important to protect children, and that's little girls who are also involved in that category... That's why you have Title IX. That's why you have some of the greats in women's sports. If Title IX and women's sports weren't protected, then you wouldn't hear about any type of women in sports..."

The message resonated with athletes like Frei and Lechner, who say the debate over women's sports isn't theoretical — it's something they've experienced firsthand.

Frei is suing her school district over its locker room policy, while Lechner said she unknowingly competed against and shared a locker room with a transgender athlete during her most recent volleyball season.

Lechner said Cunningham's willingness to speak out has emboldened young female athletes like herself to do the same.

"It is making it 10 times more inspiring, and it's encouraging me and a lot of other female athletes to speak out," she said.

"I just hope, and I pray that more and more people contribute and continue to speak up," she added.

Fox News Digital's Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.