It’s become a familiar sight: young fans decked out in No 22 Caitlin Clark jerseys, both home and away, eagerly marching into Indiana Fever games. Yet, more frequently, arenas across the WNBA have become hotspots for protest and impassioned calls surrounding a contentious issue.
Such tensions flared again this past Saturday ahead of the Fever’s clash with the New York Liberty, as the divisive debate over transgender athletes roared back into the spotlight.
The frontlines were marked outside Barclays Center, where vocal campaigners both supporting and opposing trans athletes in women’s sports expressed their fervor, reaching a high-stakes intensity.
Meanwhile, the opposing camp rallied loud and clear. Amidst a sea of national flags, participants wore shirts printed with “XX-XY” and hoisted signs demanding the exclusion of transgender athletes from women’s sports, championing Indiana Fever’s own Sophie Cunningham.
The advocacy group, XX-XY Athletics, firmly stood beside Cunningham, using the platform to decry the WNBA’s policies regarding gender eligibility and advocating for a reevaluation of the rules.
Protests broke out ahead of the Indiana Fever’s game against the New York Liberty
Sophie Cunningham sparked a fire storm when she spoke out on ‘protesting young girls’
Campaign groups protested the WNBA’s gender eligibility criteria amid the storm
Amy Sousa, an organizer of the campaign, insisted that the group’s message was not anti-trans but about protecting girls in women’s sports.
‘This is about privacy,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘This is about safety. This is about fairness on the basis of our sex. We just want sports segregated on sex. We don’t care about anyone’s identity as long as they play on the team of their sex.’
Cunningham sparked a firestorm when she spoke out about ‘protecting young girls’ in women’s sports, embroiling the league in a fierce debate over transgender athletes.
Her comments sparked backlash around the WNBA, while some of her supporters raised concerns over their treatment at recent games.
‘It was so inspiring because she is a sparkly, sassy personality,’ Sousa added. ‘So when she came out and said that she protects girl sports and in the locker room and on the field, it was really cool. I think that was a remarkable moment.
‘She has such integrity. She stands with her word. She means what she says, and we respect that. We want to show her and the world that we’re here cheering her on.’
Following Cunningham’s comments, two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, have since seized upon the issue as a chance to make a political point. Both have announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, challenging the league’s transgender eligibility policy.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states only women are eligible to play. But with no explicit definition of the term or detail on a transgender participation policy, Kanter and White have decided to try and test those rules, with the campaign rejected by the league as a ‘bad-faith’ effort.
Sousa hit out at WNBA, claiming that its current eligibility criteria exposed the league to vulnerability.
Campaigners against trans athletes in women’s sports showed support for the Fever star
On the other side of the debate, others campaigned for transgender inclusivity
‘I’ve been a little bit disappointed with the league,’ she said. ‘I think the league could support their players a little bit more. I think every day that they do not take a strong position to protect their sport on the basis of sex, they are vulnerable.
‘What we’re seeing with Enes Kanter and Royce White, they are exposing how vulnerable this league is right now. They’re vulnerable to any man. We think the league is leaving itself very vulnerable to infiltration by any man who says that he’s a woman.’
Sousa also suggested that the fallout of the debate engulfing the league should mark the end of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s tenure.
‘I think it’s really embarrassing,’ she said. ‘It’s very disappointing the way she chose to carry herself. I don’t think she has any place standing up and being a leader.’
Meanwhile, tensions began to boil over when protestors from different sides of the debate began to clash in heated scenes.
One man sporting a Mexico jersey and sombrero, barged into the midst of the pro-trans rally and began declaring that he wanted to declare for the WNBA Draft.
His controversial declaration was met with instant outrage from the campaigners who began blowing whistles in his face and retaliating with chants of ‘trans kids belong.’
Police were forced to intervene when the confrontation reached boiling point with a horde of five NYPD officers escorting him away from the scene to the cheers of the furious protestors.
The Fever’s clash against the Liberty was the latest game to be surrounded by the protests
A women’s sports protestor holds up a sign outside of Barclays Center on Saturday
Cunningham has been met with boos at most games while protests and counter demonstrations supporting her have become commonplace at games around the country.
Liberty season ticketholder and pro-trans supporter Kristen revealed that she would be in the former group, emphatically answering ‘yes’ when asked if she would be booing the Fever guard during Saturday’s game.
‘Sophie Cunningham is kind of like a throwaway athlete in my opinion, a bench-warmer kind of person, lanky sort of MAGA Barbie,’ she told the Daily Mail.
‘I think that she just dog whistled to this group to probably benefit financially. I think it’s low-key grotesque what she’s doing and riding on the coattails of Caitlin Clark, which is just goofy.’
Cunningham was once again booed with jeers echoing around Barclays Center as he name was called out by the announcer called out her name. In fact, the only time she was met with cheers was when she was called for a foul much the joy of the home fans.
Unlike Sousa, Kristen welcomed the WNBA’s response to Cunningham’s comments, praising players, coaches and teams from around the league for speaking out.
Cunningham was booed yet again as she took to the court on Saturday night
‘I’m proud that our team is like on the right side of this moment,’ she said of the Liberty.
She added: ‘I’d love to see WNBA turn it up a little bit, maybe [do something about] fan hate speech, kind of waiting for that.’
Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart spoke out on the debate which has dominated headlines surrounding the WNBA in recent weeks, attempting to quell the anger.
‘Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,’ the two-time MVP told a small group of reporters Saturday morning.
‘I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.’