The Indiana Fever player averaged 7.9 points per game this season, her lowest output in five years

NEED TO KNOW

• President Donald Trump referenced WNBA player Sophie Cunningham at a rally on Monday night
• Trump called the Indiana Fever guard “a beautiful young woman”
• The president then implied that Cunningham was not the best shooter, adding that she would “not help you with points”

President Donald Trump called Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham “a beautiful young woman” and criticized her basketball skills during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio on Monday, Oct. 12.

In his comments to supporters, the president implied that the WNBA player would “not help you with points,” in the wake of Cunningham’s regressive season in which she struggled to score.

“Sophie is a beautiful young woman,” Trump, 80, said in front of an audience including former NFL coach Jon Gruden.

He then gestured to the former Las Vegas Raiders coach: “You probably wouldn’t mind her on the team, not to help you with points, but to help you with attendance. The attendance would be great.”

Trump continued his theory about Cunningham’s appeal.

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“You have a lot of men wanting to go and watch her. She’s beautiful,” Trump said. “You’re not allowed to say that anymore, however, as a politician. Please, please, let me take it back. Anytime a politician says a woman is beautiful, that’s generally the end of his political career in the modern-day politic world.”

Cunningham has not directly addressed Trump’s comments, but appeared to acknowledge them in a bible verse shared to her Instagram Stories last night. She reshared a post that included a verse from Thessalonians, which said, “Encourage and build up one another.” PEOPLE has reached out to a representative for Cunningham for further comment.

The president’s comments came amid a portion of his address in which he discussed transgender athletes — something which Cunningham, 30, has been vocal about in recent months.

The former Mizzou standout drew ire and support for comments made in July in an ESPN interview about the issue.

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham said, per ESPN. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ ” 

She continued, “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

Days later at games in Seattle and Minneapolis, fans wore T-shirts that read, “Trans kids belong in sports,” while outside the arena in Minnesota, other fans held up signs that read, “Love is truth” and “Thank you Sophie.”

After the game against the Lynx, Cunningham posed for a picture with conservative activist Riley Gaines and former Levi’s executive Jennifer Sey, both of whom wore anti-trans shirts. Cunningham held up Gaines’ sign, which read: “Sophie, thank you. – A girl mom.”

Cunningham averaged 7.9 points per game this season — her lowest in five years — and is a free agent heading into the offseason.

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