A former Indiana Fever player is alleging that her old WNBA team fired a male employee for sexual harassment last season, and then encouraged players to “keep quiet” about the whole thing. Las Vegas Aces forward Brianna Turner, who was with the Fever in 2025, dropped this bombshell on social media site X on Wednesday, July 22. This is a huge, unsettling claim that shakes player trust.
The Allegation That Rocked the WNBA
Turner’s claims came out as part of a series of posts defending transgender people online. Earlier that same day, her former Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham had stated support for transgender people but didn’t believe trans women should play women’s sports. Turner then pivoted hard, arguing there are much bigger threats to women than who plays in their leagues. She wrote, “An issue that has caused problems though? Last year on my WNBA team a male staff member was fired for sexual harassment, but we were encouraged to keep quiet about it. That is an issue. Sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and racism are all issues.” That’s a direct, powerful accusation. It’s still unclear who the fired staff member was or if the target of the alleged harassment was another Fever employee, but the core claim stands.
The Fever’s Response and What It Means
The Indiana Fever gave a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, July 23, attempting to address the situation. They said, “Protecting our players and employees and maintaining a respectful, professional workplace is our top priority. Our policy is to take concerns seriously, investigate thoroughly, and act promptly when appropriate to protect the people in our organization and ensure everyone is treated with professionalism and respect. Fostering trust and safety in that process means we do not comment on personnel matters involving former employees.” Meanwhile, USA TODAY reached out to the WNBA for comment but got no immediate response.
This whole situation raises serious questions about transparency and accountability in the league. When a former player feels compelled to speak out like this, you have to wonder about the culture behind the scenes and what it means for player safety moving forward. The WNBA needs to address these concerns head-on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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