Storm Apologizes After Co-Owner Berates Teens Over Signs Supporting Sophie Cunningham Stance on Transgender Athletes

Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham frequently states she has been put on this planet “to extend love,” but it was a minority owner of the Seattle Storm who had to put the principle to the test on Wednesday.In the latest embarrassment for the WNBA, the Seattle Storm issued a statement apologizing for the comments and actions of minority owner Celestre Keaton, who scolded two teenage girls for holding signs supporting Ms. Cunningham during the Fever’s 105-95 win at Seattle on Tuesday night.Sitting courtside, the two 16-year-olds held signs saying “We love you Sophie” and “Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls!” The display of support highlighted Ms. Cunningham’s recent remarks that transgender athletes should not be permitted to play in women’s sports.The recognition for Ms. Cunningham didn’t sit well with Ms. Keaton, according to the teenagers. “This older lady came up to us,” one of the girls told independent reporter Brandi Kruse. “I thought she was going to be nice. Then she said, ‘Jesus loves everyone.’ Then, she said, ‘I hope Jesus forgives you for what sins you’ve done’ or something like that. Then she told us we were ‘f’ing insane.”The girls said that Ms. Keaton pointed to her own head and said, “You’d better stop pulling this sh–.”One of the girls burst into tears. “I’ve had people hate on me on the internet, but that’s just people online,” she said. “That just took me by surprise because I thought she was going to be nice, but she started screaming and cussing at us.”Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder issued a statement apologizing on behalf of the franchise. “We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game,” she said. “We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”Executives from the NBA and WNBA have not commented. The courtside incident occurred after a “With Love is Truth” rally held outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena before the game. A few dozen people gathered to support Ms. Cunningham and promote statewide initiatives 638 and 011, which would bar transgender students from participating in girls’ athletics at Washington schools.Some attending the rally displayed signs featuring Ms. Cunningham’s widely shared phrases, including, “I said what I said” and “with love is truth.” Counter protestors were also present, carrying LGBTQ+ flags and signs.The dispute over Ms. Cunningham’s stance began after a recent ESPN profile on the Indiana Fevers forward, who briefly discussed the transgender athletics issue, saying, “I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, I never once said that,” she said. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”Ms. Cunningham added to her comments days later, telling reporters: “I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense…I’m not a very political person, but I do have beliefs. I have morals, and I’ll always stand on these.”Meanwhile, Seattle Storm star Stefanie Dolson wore a pregame T-shirt that read: “Trans rights are human rights.”Ms. Cunningham nor Ms. Clark was made available to reporters after Tuesday’s game, but the Indiana Fever issued a statement distancing the team from the rally. “Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers,” the statement said. “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.”Storm head coach Sonia Raman addressed the pregame rally in general terms. “Seattle and this organization and Climate Pledge, we always want to be an area where people feel welcome coming into this building,” she said. “I think we’ve always done a really good job with that. I know our organization was working closely with Climate Pledge and the security just to make sure that everybody feels safe and included and welcome when they walk in this door.”Ms. Cunningham has received a mixture of support and backlash for comments on transgender athletes. “Very disgusting person,” one person posted.“She is a stain on this league and a stain on society,” posted another. Another person who posted on the rally said, “The only point of this ‘rally’ is to spread hate and make trans folks feel unsafe in spaces where they’ve previously found comfort. Sophie Cunningham should be ashamed that this is her legacy.”White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt applauded Ms. Cunningham’s stance, saying “the American public” broadly agrees with her position. Separately, the co-host on Ms. Cunningham’s podcast, Show Me Something, West Wilson, said the issue is more of a political debate than a practical one.“Transgender athletes in American sports is such a borderline nonexistent issue that right-wingers have convinced a massive portion of people in our country that it— that these people are like a threat to sports in America when mathematically that’s not the case at all,” he said in a TikTok video.“And by continuing to platform this, politicians, athletes, journalists, news outlets, you’re only isolating transgender people even more by making them seem like this giant group of people is a threat to society, a threat to sports, when that’s just not proportionately the truth in any capacity.”

Storm Apologizes After Co-Owner Berates Teens Over Signs Supporting Sophie Cunningham Stance on Transgender Athletes

Storm Apologizes After Co-Owner Berates Teens Over Signs Supporting Sophie Cunningham Stance on Transgender Athletes

More from the New York Sun

More on What the Press Won’t Tell You — and That’s the Strong Trumpian Economy

‘Serious Mistakes’ on Communist China Are Laid to Harvard

Vetting the Pied-à-Terre Tax

Trump Gambles — and Comes Up Snake Eyes — on a Powerful Prosecutorial Appointment in Nevada

Swedish Politician Wears Star of David During Debate To Highlight Antisemitism

Boxing Champion Vows To Honor Hayden Panettiere’s Legacy for Their Daughter After Tragic Death

Air Strike on a Syrian Airbase, Widely Attributed to Israel, Raises Mideast Tensions

Minnesota Files Lawsuit To Force Texas To Extradite Ice Agent

More from the New York Sun

More on What the Press Won’t Tell You — and That’s the Strong Trumpian Economy

‘Serious Mistakes’ on Communist China Are Laid to Harvard

Vetting the Pied-à-Terre Tax

Trump Gambles — and Comes Up Snake Eyes — on a Powerful Prosecutorial Appointment in Nevada

Swedish Politician Wears Star of David During Debate To Highlight Antisemitism

Boxing Champion Vows To Honor Hayden Panettiere’s Legacy for Their Daughter After Tragic Death

Air Strike on a Syrian Airbase, Widely Attributed to Israel, Raises Mideast Tensions

Minnesota Files Lawsuit To Force Texas To Extradite Ice Agent