The WNBA has acknowledged that fans at the recent game between the Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever should not have been asked to cover up their shirts with messages supporting transgender athletes.

The incident occurred during Sunday’s game, where multiple fans were shown on the jumbotron wearing shirts with the ‘XX-XY’ message, while another fan was wearing a shirt that said ‘Protect Trans Kids.’ Yet another fan was shown wearing a shirt that said ‘Trans kids belong in sports.’

According to eyewitnesses, security officials brought the fans Dream shirts and asked them to cover up their shirts or leave the game. The WNBA has since released a statement apologizing for the incident, stating that ‘this should not have happened.’

The WNBA has become a battleground in the debate about transgender athletes, despite the fact that the league has never had a transgender player and does not have a public policy about transgender participation. The league’s collective bargaining agreement simply states that ‘only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.’

Recently, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White ‘declared’ for the 2027 WNBA Draft by claiming that they now identify as women. This move has sparked further debate about the inclusion of transgender athletes in the league.

The WNBA has convened a task force to discuss the issue and issued a statement that read, in part, ‘We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.’

However, this incident is not the first involving fans and transgender support. Last month, during the Fever’s game against the Seattle Storm in Seattle, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton approached multiple teenage fans who were sitting courtside wearing shirts supporting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Keaton directed expletives at the fans, prompting a statement from the Storm apologizing for the incident and committing to creating an inclusive environment for all fans.

Cunningham herself has been at the center of the debate, with comments she made in an ESPN profile last month sparking controversy. She stated that she wants to ‘protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.’ Cunningham doubled down on her comments, stating that she ‘thinks it’s kind of common sense’ and that she will ‘always believe in that.’

Despite the controversy surrounding her comments, Cunningham has maintained that she ‘doesn’t dislike anyone’ and that there’s ‘room to love everyone.’ However, her comments have been criticized for being transphobic, and the WNBA’s response to the incident has been seen as inadequate by many.

The WNBA’s handling of this incident has sparked further debate about the inclusion of transgender athletes in the league. As the league continues to navigate this complex issue, it is clear that there is much work to be done to create an inclusive environment for all players and fans.