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The Atlanta Dream released a statement about an incident with a mother and daughter
The WNBA has admitted that its security staff told fans at an Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever game to cover their shirts. Both the league and the Dream have since released statements acknowledging it should not have happened.
According to Fox News, a mother and her young daughter attending the game were approached by WNBA security and told to cover their shirts.
The shirts in question were the pro-Sophie Cunningham XX-XY t-shirts that have been worn by fans at rallies outside WNBA arenas this season in support of Cunningham’s comments about transgender athletes in youth sports.
The WNBA and Atlanta Dream both apologized after security staff told fans to cover their pro-Sophie Cunningham shirts at a game in Atlanta
“The Atlanta Dream believes in creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. Unfortunately, at last night’s game, WNBA security took actions that fell short of that standard. At no point was Dream personnel involved in the decisions made by WNBA security.”
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 17, 2026
The WNBA also released its own official statement, saying: “The WNBA is aware of interactions at last night’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts. This should not have happened.”
The incident is the latest entry in what has been the WNBA’s most turbulent season in its 30-year history — a year that has included congressional letters, a USA Today column invoking Emmett Till, a throat punch on Caitlin Clark that went uncalled, players’ union statements about hate and demonization, Bill Simmons calling for the commissioner’s firing, and now security staff telling a mother and daughter to cover their clothes at a basketball game.