A mother and daughter attending Sunday’s WNBA matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream say they were handed an ultimatum with two minutes left in overtime: cover up their pro-woman shirts or leave the arena.
Kasey Thomason and her daughter Annie told Fox News Digital that after spending thousands of dollars on good seats, they were approached by arena security and told their XX-XY Athletics shirts were “offensive” and had to be covered or they’d be asked to leave. Kasey’s shirt featured the XX-XY logo in red, white, and blue; Annie’s, with an XX on the front, came from the Riley Gaines collection and read “For the Girls” across the back.
The two said they’d worn the shirts specifically to show support for Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, who has repeatedly said she isn’t political but has unapologetically defended women and girls in sports — arguing they deserve a space to compete without being forced to take on biological men.
When security first approached, Kasey asked if the shirts were a problem. The guard said someone had found them offensive, according to the Fox News Digital report.
“Biology and science is offensive?” Kasey asked. But with just two minutes left in overtime, the pair decided to put on offered Atlanta Dream “Wellness & Health Night” shirts so they wouldn’t miss the end of the game. The Fever went on to win 95-91.
A double standard?
The Thomasons said they believe another fan — a woman wearing a shirt that read “Trans Kids Belong In Sports,” who had been featured on the Jumbotron earlier — was the one who complained about their attire. After the pair changed, that same woman reportedly approached them and said, “I like your shirt.”
It was unclear whether she’d also been approached about her own shirt, but Kasey and Annie noticed later in the game that her jacket was zipped up to cover the message.
The incident has sparked criticism on social media. Jon Root posted a photo of the pair’s shirts alongside a screenshot of the other fan’s shirt, writing: “Why was this woman not told to cover-up her ‘Trans Kids Belong’ t-shirt like the mom & daughter were told with their @xx_xyathletics shirts? Seems like a double standard to me…”
Conflicting arena rules
The WNBA has rules regarding signs and attire, prohibiting “obscene” or “indecent” messaging at games. State Farm Arena’s own rules state that “clothing, garments or signs displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization towards any person(s)” will not be allowed.
But the security guard did not specify which rule the Thomasons’ shirts violated — only that they had been deemed “offensive.”
The shirts themselves contain no explicit language, profanity, or slurs. The XX-XY logo is a reference to female and male chromosomes, and the Riley Gaines collection shirt simply says “For the Girls.”
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies involving Cunningham, who has become a polarizing figure in the WNBA for her outspoken defense of female athletes. She has insisted her stance isn’t political, framing it instead as a basic matter of fairness and safety for women in sports.
Neither the WNBA nor State Farm Arena had issued a public statement at the time of reporting. The Fever and Dream did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
For Kasey and Annie, the moment was disheartening — they’d come to enjoy a game and cheer on a player they admire, only to be told that a shirt declaring support for biological women was too controversial to wear in public. They complied in the moment to see the end of the game, but the message they took home was clear: some messages are allowed, and others aren’t.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-sophie-cunningham-fans-targeted-again