The WNBA has stated that an incident where fans were reportedly asked to cover their "XX-XY" and "For the girls" shirts at a recent game "should not have happened." A league spokesperson addressed the situation on Monday, following claims from a mother and daughter that security at Atlanta's Gateway Center Arena told them their shirts were "offensive" and required them to either put on Dream T-shirts or leave the game.
The fans, identified as local Georgia residents Kasey Thomason and her 17-year-old daughter Annie, were reportedly approached during the Fever-Dream game on Sunday, August 16. According to Thomason, security provided them with T-shirts during overtime and instructed them to cover their attire or depart.
Thomason stated that they were "just sitting there" and had "done nothing." She added that they were "told on" by another fan who was also reportedly asked to cover a "Protect Trans Rights" shirt.
The Indiana Fever has become a focal point in recent discussions regarding gender and sports, particularly after player Sophie Cunningham's comments to ESPN about protecting young girls in sports from competing against biological males. These comments have sparked rallies both in support of and against Cunningham, with XX-XY Athletics, an apparel company that states its mission is "to empower female athletes and take a stand for fair competition," publicly supporting her.
The WNBA has also faced scrutiny regarding its rules on transgender athlete eligibility, with former NBA players Enes Kanter and Royce White raising questions. The league recently convened an anti-hate task force, which concluded that there were "no immediate eligibility matters affecting" the WNBA and that the league "strongly denounce[s] the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."