Dueling Protests Ring WNBA Game as 17,581 Watch Liberty Beat Fever 109-102
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 23
Dueling Protests Ring WNBA Game as 17,581 Watch Liberty Beat Fever 109-102
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 23
Summary
Hundreds of opposing protesters gathered outside Brooklyn's Barclays Center before Saturday's sold-out Fever-Liberty game, turning the arena into a live flashpoint in the WNBA's transgender-athlete controversy.
The demonstrations followed weeks of league scrutiny after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said girls should not compete against "biological men," drawing backlash, sponsor-linked activism and calls for Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to act faster.
Police kept the groups behind barricades and the scene stayed mostly calm, though one person was escorted away after shouting; inside, 17,581 fans watched New York beat Indiana 109-102.
Breanna Stewart said the arena should remain a safe space, while some Liberty supporters argued the league was being hijacked for a broader political fight despite no openly transgender player in WNBA history.
The dispute reaches beyond the league: the Supreme Court recently upheld states' authority to bar transgender girls and women from women's sports, and 27 states have enacted such bans.