Two WNBA fans, Kasey and Annie Thomason, allege they were threatened with ejection from a game between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream on August 16th if they did not cover their shirts that stated 'XX/XY' and the name of a group called XX-XY Athletics. The incident occurred at Atlanta's State Farm Arena.
According to their account on Fox News Channel’s "The Ingraham Angle," a security guard approached them and asked them to change into Atlanta Dream t-shirts instead of their own. Kasey Thomason stated the guard was unsure of the specific reason for the request, saying, "He didn’t know what was offensive about it. He said he didn’t even understand but since someone told on us and said that they were offensive, we had to cover up, put on our Atlanta Dream shirts instead of our XX-XY."
Annie Thomason, 17, described the experience as bewildering. "I was flabbergasted. It was the first time I experienced anything like that. I just had no words except like who is offended by the T-shirt at this point?" she said.
The WNBA released a statement addressing the incident. "The WNBA is aware of interactions at last night’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts. This should not have happened," a league spokesperson stated.
However, Annie Thomason expressed skepticism about the league's statement, indicating it did not alleviate her concerns. "It’s 100% going to happen again until people actually do something about it. And no, it does not make me feel better because they’re not going to do anything about it," she commented.
The incident draws attention to ongoing discussions regarding biological sex in women's sports. A 2025 New York Times/Ipsos survey indicated that a significant majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not believe transgender athletes should compete in women's sports. The survey found that 79% of participants said males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports, with 67% of Democrats and 94% of Republicans holding this view.
Kasey Thomason believes public sentiment on the issue is even stronger than the poll suggests. "I’m pretty sure we’re like 90-10, 95-5 on men in women’s sports, but that 5 or 10% is so loud against us and it makes no sense. Like, common sense, people. That’s all we’re asking for," she said.