The WNBA has stated that security personnel "fell short" of expected standards during an incident where fans were asked to cover their shirts at a recent game.
The controversy arose during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena on August 16th. According to reports, at least three fans were instructed by WNBA security to cover their shirts. Among them were a mother and her teenage daughter wearing apparel from XX-XY Athletics, a brand that advocates for the exclusion of transgender women from women's sports. Another fan was reportedly wearing a pro-transgender shirt and was also asked to cover it.
The Atlanta Dream issued a statement on Monday clarifying their involvement. "The Atlanta Dream believes in creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone," the statement read. "Unfortunately, at last night's game, WNBA security took actions that fell short of that standard. At no point was Dream personnel involved in the decisions made by WNBA security."
The WNBA acknowledged the incident, stating, "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."
Kasey Thomason and her daughter, Annie, who were wearing the XX-XY Athletics shirts, told Fox News Digital that the individual who approached them was not dressed in typical arena security attire but wore a tan suit. The game was relocated to the larger State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, to accommodate a larger anticipated crowd for the matchup featuring Caitlin Clark.
Fox News Digital reached out to the WNBA for comment on who was responsible for the decision to ask fans to cover their shirts but had not received a response at the time of reporting. The league has not named the specific individual or individuals responsible for the directive.