Sophie Cunningham has remained one of the WNBA's most talked-about players this past month, and not just because of what she has done on the court. The Indiana Fever guard has found herself at the center of several conversations in recent months, including her comments opposing transgender women competing in women's sports.
Those remarks became a focal point again Tuesday when the Fever visited the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena.
Two teenage girls seated courtside wore XX-XY Athletics shirts and held signs thanking Cunningham for "speaking up for girls," drawing attention during the game. The situation has since led to disciplinary action from the WNBA.
According to The Athletic, the league suspended and fined Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton following an exchange with the two fans. Keaton will miss the Storm's next five home games, while the franchise was also issued an undisclosed financial penalty.
The girls later claimed in an interview shared by podcast host Brandi Kruse that Keaton approached them during the game, used expletives and called them "[expletive] insane" before telling them, "You better stop this [expletive]."
According to the girls, one of them was left in tears after the encounter, while nearby fans continued to harass them for the rest of the night.
Cunningham also addressed the incident on social media, calling Keaton's actions "truly embarrassing" while praising the girls for standing up for what they believe in. “I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind,” she wrote.
The Storm also responded after the league announced its decision.
“We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game,” the team said in a statement, per Front Office Sports. “We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”
The incident drew a lot of attention across social media in the hours after the game before the WNBA handed down its punishment.
