The Indiana Fever distanced themselves Tuesday night from a demonstration held outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in support of guard Sophie Cunningham following her recent remarks about transgender athletes. The gathering took place before Indiana’s 105-95 victory over the Seattle Storm.
According to the Associated Press, the rally drew a “few dozen” attendees who were backing Cunningham as well as two proposed Washington state initiatives aimed at preventing transgender students from competing in girls’ sports at public schools.
After the Fever’s win, neither Cunningham nor Caitlin Clark spoke with reporters. Instead, Kelsey Mitchell and Monique Billings appeared alongside head coach Stephanie White. When White was asked about both the rally and Cunningham’s comments, a Fever public relations representative responded with the team’s official statement:
“Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers. Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united in that mission.”
The Seattle Storm addressed the situation before tipoff as well, saying the organization was aware of the planned rally and was “tracking it closely.” The team emphasized that it remains “committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all guests.”
Storm head coach Sonia Raman also spoke about the matter during her pregame media availability, underscoring the franchise’s focus on safety and inclusion at Climate Pledge Arena:
“Seattle and this organization and Climate Pledge, we always want to be an area where people feel welcome coming into this building. I think we’ve always done a really good job with that. So, I know our organization was working closely with Climate Pledge and the security just to make sure that everybody feels safe and included and welcome when they walk in this door.
“From what I understand, that was successful.”
However, the Storm ownership did release an apology on Wednesday after it was reported that Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton directed expletives at two fans sitting courtside who were visibly supporting Cunningham and her comments.
“We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game. We apologize that this happened,” Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder said in a statement released Wednesday. “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.”
What has Cunningham said?
In a recent ESPN profile, Cunningham said, as part of a discussion about her political views, that she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
She doubled down on those comments when asked about them prior to the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 22.
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense,” Cunningham said. “And I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said.”
Cunningham added that she doesn’t “dislike anyone” and that there’s “room to love everyone. She continued, “I’m also there to love biological women, and I think that there are rights that need to be protected. And, like I said, I’m gonna stand true to that. I’ll never falter in my beliefs in that. But I have never once stated that I hated the trans community.”
The Fever released a statement on July 22 after Cunningham’s pre-game media session:
“Our players are thoughtful adults with their own perspectives and voices, and those views are their own,” the statement said. “We are committed to welcoming fans from every background and treating everyone with respect, and that’s what guides us as an organization.”
