A Seattle Storm co-owner has been handed a five-game home suspension and a fine by the WNBA following an alleged verbal altercation with two teenage fans during a recent game. The incident occurred on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle during a matchup between the Storm and the Indiana Fever, drawing national attention and sparking widespread discussion.
"I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind. Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You’ll be hearing from me soon yay for gifts. Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is" — Sophie Cunningham, Indiana Fever Guard
The two teenage girls, who had court-side seats, arrived at the game dressed in XX-XY Athletics gear, a brand associated with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's public support for preserving women's sports. Independent journalist Brandi Kruse, who was present with the teens for parts of the evening, reported that the situation began to escalate when Storm players allegedly directed "thumbs-down" gestures at the girls. "They were giving them thumbs down — like, to their faces," Kruse told Fox News Digital.
According to Kruse, the situation intensified when an older woman connected to the Storm organization allegedly approached the teens, yelled at them, and used the phrase "f***ing insane" to describe them. The girls reportedly identified their alleged harasser as sitting near Storm legend and co-owner Sue Bird. Kruse stated that when she brought the matter to an arena security guard, the guard identified the woman as "one of the owners of the team." Kruse later confirmed the woman's identity as Celeste Keaton, a known figure within the Storm’s ownership group.
Climate Pledge Arena's code of conduct explicitly prohibits abusive or obscene language, with violators subject to ejection. Kruse expressed concern that the response to the incident fell short of how an ordinary fan would have been treated. "Had this been any other fan under any other circumstances who swore at and called some teenage girls ‘f***ing insane’ until they cried, they would’ve been ejected," Kruse stated. The emotional toll on the girls became evident by halftime, with Kruse observing one of them in tears. "I look over at halftime, and she’s sobbing," Kruse recounted. "They were so excited for those seats, like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of their favorite players. They stayed up the night before making signs."
Reports initially circulated online suggesting arena staff had forced the girls to remove signs they were displaying in support of Cunningham. However, Kruse clarified this account, stating that the girls chose to put their signs away themselves after the alleged confrontation left them feeling "scared and uncomfortable." "The report that they told the girls to put those signs away is not true," Kruse said. "The girls put their signs away because of what happened with Celeste, and they just felt so scared and uncomfortable, they decided not to hold them anymore."
In the wake of the incident, Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder issued a public apology on behalf of the organization on Wednesday. "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," the statement read.
Sophie Cunningham herself addressed the controversy late Wednesday, reposting Fox News Digital's coverage on X with a lengthy statement. "I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind. Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You’ll be hearing from me soon yay for gifts. Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is," Cunningham wrote. The incident also garnered attention from high-profile figures, including author J.K. Rowling, who amplified the girls’ story on social media.
Hours before the game, a rally had taken place outside Climate Pledge Arena to support Cunningham's stance on women's sports, which was met by a smaller group of counter-protesters advocating for transgender inclusion. Storm officials had stated prior to the game that they were monitoring the demonstration closely to ensure a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all attendees. Following the game, Storm head coach Sonia Raman commented on the rally but did not address the specific allegations against Keaton, as they had not yet been made public. "We always want to be an area where people feel welcome coming into this building," Raman said, noting coordination with arena security, and added, "From what I understand, that was successful."
The Indiana Fever organization quickly distanced itself from the rally. During coach Stephanie White's postgame press conference, a Fever public relations staffer interjected when asked about the demonstration, stating, "Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers." The staffer then redirected reporters to basketball-related questions. Cunningham and Fever star Caitlin Clark did not attend the postgame media session, with guards Kelsey Mitchell and Monique Billings taking their places alongside White, who reiterated the team's denial of any involvement with the rally's organizers. The WNBA's disciplinary action against Keaton underscores the league's response to the incident, aiming to uphold standards of conduct within its organization.
