The WNBA has taken disciplinary action against a minority co-owner of the Seattle Storm following a heated confrontation with two teenage girls who were supporting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's stance on women's sports.
The league has suspended the co-owner from attending the team's next five home games and imposed an undisclosed fine on the Storm after the incident at Tuesday night's game at Climate Pledge Arena.
The confrontation occurred when the teenage girls, who were wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts and holding a sign that read, "Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls," were approached by the co-owner, who allegedly called them "f*ing insane" and launched into a rant that left at least one of them in tears.
The dispute centered around Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's comments on women's sports, in which she emphasized the importance of protecting female athletic opportunities and the need to address biological differences in sports.
Cunningham has repeatedly made clear that her position is not rooted in hatred toward transgender people, but rather a desire to protect children and women's sports from competition by biological males.
The incident sparked a backlash on social media, with many criticizing the co-owner's behavior and praising the teenage fans for standing up for their beliefs.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham came to the defense of the teenage fans, writing, "You can disagree and still be kind" and praising them for standing up for their beliefs.
Cunningham also blasted the co-owner's behavior as "truly embarrassing" and said it exposed the kind of leader the Storm co-owner is.
The Seattle Storm's majority owner issued an apology on behalf of the team, and the WNBA eventually stepped in to take disciplinary action against the co-owner.
