Debates over trans athletes spark ahead of Seattle Storm, Indiana Fever game
SEATTLE - A few dozen people gathered outside Climate Pledge Arena ahead of the Seattle Storm-Indiana Fever game on Tuesday, in support of Fever player Sophie Cunningham and her recent comments about transgender athletes.
According to the Associated Press, demonstrators gathered in support of Cunningham and to promote statewide initiatives IL26-638 and IL26-001, which aim to ban transgender students from playing in girls' sports in Washington schools.
Cunningham spoke in support of banning transgender women from women's sports in an ESPN article last week, and when she arrived on the court for Tuesday's game at Climate Pledge, she was met with boos from Seattle Storm fans.
Further controversy was stirred after two 16-year-old fans of Sophie Cunningham were seen wearing "XX XY Athletics" shirts — representing the chromosome pairs which determine biological sex — which read "Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls."
This prompted Seattle Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton to allegedly curse the teens out and call them "[expletive] insane." Storm leadership apologized for the incident on Wednesday.
Just days after Cunningham's comments, Storm center Stefanie Dorson seemed to offer her own rebuttal, according to FOX News, arriving at Tuesday's game in a shirt reading "Trans Rights are Human Rights."
The Seattle Storm organization backed Dorson's stance, while the Fever seemingly took a neutral stance, saying their players are "thoughtful adults with their own perspectives and voices."
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 28 : Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever smiles before the game against the Seattle Storm on July 28, 2026 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by download
Aftermath of the Storm-Fever game
The Storm went on to lose the match 105–95, and neither Cunningham nor Fever superstar Caitlin Clark were available for comment after the game.
"Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers," read a statement from an Indiana Fever spokesperson. "Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united in that mission."
Despite the controversy, a spokesperson for No Hate in Washington State — a coalition of doctors, nurses, anti-domestic violence groups and other local groups that oppose Initiatives 638 and 001 — told the AP it was a "positive experience on the whole" outside Climate Pledge Arena.
"Washington State is a very caring, inclusive place," said a spokesperson for the coalition. "We don’t always agree, but we do agree against hate, and we will come together about that."
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Associated Press and FOX News.