The WNBA acknowledged Monday that security personnel acted improperly after asking at least three fans to cover shirts displaying messages about transgender women participating in women’s sports during Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream in Atlanta.
In a statement released Monday, the league said the fans should have been permitted to wear the shirts.
“The WNBA is aware of interactions at Sunday’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts. This should not have happened.”
According to multiple reports, two fans were wearing shirts from XX-XY Athletics, a brand that advocates restricting women’s and girls’ sports to athletes assigned female at birth. A third fan was reportedly wearing a shirt expressing support for transgender people. All three individuals were asked by league security to cover their shirts before the WNBA later determined that those actions were inappropriate.
The Atlanta Dream also released a statement distancing the organization from the incident, saying the decisions were made by WNBA security personnel and not by team employees. The franchise added that it is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone attending its games.
The incident comes amid heightened public discussion surrounding transgender athlete participation in women’s sports. In recent weeks, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s comments on the issue sparked widespread debate across the league, leading to demonstrations from supporters of differing viewpoints.
While the WNBA has reiterated its commitment to inclusion, the league also made clear that, in this instance, fans expressing differing viewpoints through their clothing should have been allowed to do so under arena policies.
