Former NBA player Royce White made an unannounced appearance at an Indiana Fever game on Friday night, drawing significant attention and a warm reception from fans. His presence occurred on a night when Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was also in attendance.
White, who recently declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, described his arrival as unannounced, with neither the team nor the venue being given prior notice of his attendance. He reported that the ticket was not purchased under his name.
Fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse engaged with White, taking photos and shaking his hand. White, who was seen wearing a wig, told OutKick that the reception in Indiana was positive and notably different from the experience of Enes Kanter Freedom at a Chicago Sky home game the previous Sunday. Freedom was reportedly heckled by fans before being ejected from the game.
"The reception was great. That's really the cool thing, juxtaposed to what Enes went through... there in Chicago. I just had a completely different experience tonight, and the people of Indiana are great," White stated, contrasting the fan reactions in the two cities.
White also commented on the difference in atmosphere, suggesting, "It's just so crazy the difference of response here in Indiana versus Chicago. But one city is run by people who have common sense and the other one isn't."
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Riley Gaines, an athlete known for her views on transgender athletes in sports, were also present at the game. Gaines has previously had a public exchange with Simone Biles on social media regarding transgender athletes.
Despite the presence of both Biles and Gaines, White's interactions with fans became a prominent topic of social media discussion during the event.