Former college swimmer Riley Gaines has spoken about a recent incident involving a sign at a WNBA game. Gaines said arena staff told her to put down a sign supporting Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham.
Gaines attended a game and held a sign related to Cunningham. She stated that staff at the arena asked her to remove it. Gaines claimed other signs were present in the arena at the same time.
Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever has publicly expressed views on protecting women’s sports categories. Gaines has supported Cunningham’s comments in recent weeks.
The discussion follows an earlier incident at a Seattle Storm game against the Indiana Fever. Young girls held signs supporting Cunningham and women’s sports. Reports described reactions from some attendees toward the signs.
Gaines has described the WNBA as focused on activism. In comments, she said the league appears more interested in activist positions than in basketball operations.
A Seattle Storm co-owner faced a fine and suspension from the league this week. The action related to an alleged confrontation with protesters at a home game who held signs supporting Cunningham.
Riley Gaines has been active in discussions about fairness in women’s sports categories since her college swimming career. She has commented multiple times on WNBA matters involving Cunningham and related topics.
Arena policies on signs and fan displays vary by venue. League and team officials have not issued detailed public responses to every specific claim in the recent exchanges.