WNBA admits fans wrongly told to cover shirts in trans debate

The WNBA acknowledged in a statement Monday that fans should have been free to wear shirts referencing the debate over transgender athletes during Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever, after at least three spectators were confronted by league security at State Farm Arena. 

“The WNBA is aware of interactions at (Sunday) night’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts,” the league said. “This should not have happened.”

Two fans wore shirts arguing that women’s and girls’ sports should be limited to those assigned female at birth, while a third wore a shirt supporting transgender athletes. Multiple fans were also shown on the arena’s video board during the game wearing shirts with messages on both sides of the debate, including “Protect Trans Kids” and “Trans kids belong in sports.” 

According to Front Office Sports, some of the shirts bore the logo of XX-XY Athletics, an apparel brand founded by former elite gymnast Jennifer Sey that markets itself around “protecting women’s sports.” Ms. Sey told the outlet the incident reflects how “the WNBA, the stadiums and the teams try to censor” growing support for the brand’s cause. The company has said its sales rose sixfold over a recent two-week span amid the broader controversy.

The Atlanta Dream distanced the organization from the decision, saying in a statement that “WNBA security took actions that fell short of that standard” and that no team personnel were involved.

The incident is the latest flashpoint in a monthslong controversy sparked by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who said in an ESPN profile published last month that she wants to protect young girls in sports “who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Ms. Cunningham reaffirmed the comments in July, calling her position “common sense” while adding that she does not “dislike anyone.”

The WNBA has never had a publicly known transgender woman assigned male at birth play in the league; its current collective bargaining agreement states only that “players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The league’s existing Anti-Hate Task Force discussed the transgender-athlete issue at a meeting earlier this month, saying it would approach the matter “thoughtfully” while denouncing “bad-faith efforts” to use the topic to demean others.

Last month, Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was suspended for five home games after directing expletives at teenage fans wearing shirts supporting Ms. Cunningham at a Fever-Storm game; the league also said she was fined, though it did not disclose the amount or how the fine was assessed. Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder apologized at the time, and Ms. Cunningham later called Ms. Keaton’s conduct “truly embarrassing.”