Has there ever been a league more determined to run off its fans?
The WNBA has experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years, thanks in large part to the arrival of Caitlin Clark with the Indiana Fever back in 2024.
Clark’s popularity has elevated the league to new heights, with has obviously benefited everybody, from the league to the players. A rising tide lifts all boats, right?
But it seems like the league has no interest in capitalizing on that newfound popularity, consistently leaving out Clark when it comes to their promotional material, underranking her among her peers, dismissing her impact in the media and allowing aggressive physical contact against her on the court to go unchecked.
Aside from Clark, arguably the next most recognizable player in the league right now is her Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham. The 29-year-old was recently featured as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, but also made headlines recently when she spoke out against biological men playing women’s sports.
In an ESPN article, Cunningham made her stance on the hot-button issue clear:
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
And after (predictably) receiving backlash from the left and the media for her position, Cunningham doubled down, calling it “common sense.”
Well last night, Cunningham and the Indiana Fever were in Seattle for a matchup against their WNBA team, the Seattle Storm. And some of the opposing team’s players even used the opportunity to take a thinly-veiled shot at Cunningham, which was then promoted on the team’s social media account:
But there were also several fans in attendance to show support for Cunningham, including two teens holding signs thanking her for speaking out on behalf of female athletes.
According to the young girls though, one of the Seattle Storm’s co-owners came up to them during the game to express her displeasure with their signs, calling them “f—ing insane.”
The owner involved in the incident was reportedly Celeste Keaton. And after news of the incident went viral, the team’s majority owner Ginny Gilder issued a statement to Front Office Sports seemingly confirming reports of the confrontation and apologizing for Keaton’s actions:
“We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game. We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”
Like I said, I’ve never seen a sports league so hellbent on turning off its own fans. You’ve got an owner berating fans simply because they disagree with their political opinions – an opinion, by the way, that’s shared by the majority of Americans: A Gallup poll taken just last year found that 69% of Americans believe that transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on sports teams that match their birth gender.
Apparently the WNBA – or at least the Seattle Storm – don’t want those 69% of Americans as fans.
