Sunday night in Atlanta turned into a mess for two fans at the Dream , Indiana Fever game when security told them they had to cover their XX-XY Athletics shirts or face being escorted right out of the arena. This wasn’t some minor misunderstanding, either; the WNBA itself later confirmed the whole thing, saying in a statement to Front Office Sports that “This should not have happened.” That’s a pretty wild admission from the league.
A Brand’s Mission and the League’s Mixed Signals
XX-XY Athletics, an apparel brand that’s only two years old, was founded by former elite gymnast Jennifer Sey with a clear mission: to “protect women’s sports.” These shirts have become a common sight, especially among crowds at Fever road games who are there to back Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham, you might remember, told ESPN back in July that she wants to “protect…young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” It’s clear where the sentiment behind these shirts comes from, yet the league’s security personnel still pushed back hard. When the Atlanta Dream initially responded, they pointed to the league’s statement before adding that WNBA security took actions that “fell short of that standard,” emphasizing Dream personnel weren’t involved. You’ve gotta wonder who exactly is calling the shots on security decisions at these games if the league and teams are pointing fingers.
More Than Just One Incident: A Pattern of Trouble
This isn’t an isolated incident. A source familiar with the situation confirmed that Sunday saw multiple interactions between security and fans about apparel at the Gateway Center, including with people wearing messages representing different viewpoints on trans women competing in women’s sports. Plus, last week, XX-XY’s spokesperson told FOS their online business has exploded, seeing a sixfold increase in the past two weeks, with approximately 85% of purchases coming from first-time customers, many of them men. Clearly, there’s a growing movement tied to this. We’ve even seen it hit home, with two young fans wearing these same XX-XY shirts involved in an altercation with a Seattle Storm co-owner back on July 28 during a Fever-Storm game. Cunningham’s comments continue to stir up critics, who call her language anti-trans and derogatory. Honestly, fan-involved incidents have become way too common in the WNBA. Remember the Portland Fire season-ticket holder who reported being spat on and subjected to homophobic and transphobic slurs during a Fire-Fever game on July 31? Or the absolute madness in 2025 when dildos were being thrown onto WNBA courts for weeks? The league has had its hands full, and now this.
The WNBA is facing some serious questions right now about fan engagement, security protocols, and how it handles these charged conversations. Fans deserve clarity and consistent treatment, not erroneous commands from security that the league later has to walk back.
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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