Political activist Riley Gaines has claimed a WNBA staffer told her to put down a sign supporting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis. Gaines attended the game amid growing controversy over transgender participation in women's sports, a debate reignited after Cunningham said she wanted to "protect young girls" from "biological men."
Opposing head coach Cheryl Reeve made her own feelings clear by wearing a "Trans Kids Belong" t-shirt on the sidelines. Fans inside and outside Target Center were divided, with some cheering Cunningham and others booing, and signs both praising and criticizing her comments visible throughout the arena.
Gaines' sign dispute
Gaines announced on the day of the game that she would attend to support Cunningham with a custom-made sign reading: "Sophie, Thank You - A Girl Mom."
During the game, retired gymnast and Gaines' friend Jennifer Sey revealed that Gaines had been told by staff to put her sign down. Gaines reposted Sey's post on X, adding: "There were no fewer than 1000 signs in the arena. Most with trans paraphernalia. The only person who was told to put her sign down by WNBA officials was me. Wonder why."
Gaines later told OutKick she had checked all the sign policies before entering the arena. "I checked all the sign policies before I went in there. I made sure it was like 11 by 17. That's the sign size you could have. So, I got a ruler out," she said.
She described an arena staffer in official all-black clothing pointing at her and appearing to mouth "put your sign down" before approaching her directly. "He comes over and he says, 'You have to take your sign down.' I'm like, 'No, I don't. I checked all the sign policies before I went in there,'" Gaines said. When she asked why, she said the staffer told her: "Because it has her name on it. It has Sophie's name on it, so you can't have that."
Gaines said the reaction from those around her was immediate. "My whole section at that point, they were outraged. They were like, 'You can't tell her she can't have that. There's a hundred signs right here with people's names on it. What do you mean she can't have it?'" She said the staffer later returned and apologized.
Courtside photo and Instagram post
Gaines was ultimately able to keep her sign and even had Cunningham hold it while the two posed for a courtside photo after the Lynx's 108-100 win. Gaines, Cunningham and Sey posed together, with Gaines and Sey performing Cunningham's signature "point" gesture toward the camera.
Gaines shared a photo with Cunningham on Instagram, writing: "I show up for @sophie_cham because she shows up for my daughter." Cunningham did not comment on the post but did like it.
Sey later pointed out what she called hypocrisy, sharing a photo of a fan holding a sign that read: "I didn't think I could dislike anyone more than Caitlin Clark. Congrats Cunningham." Sey wrote: "That lady can have a sign saying she doesn't like Caitlin Clark & Sophie Cunningham but Riley & I can't have a sign saying thank you to Sophie (@RileyGaines was told she had to put the sign down just after we grabbed this pic)."
Reeve's stance and the coaching divide
Speaking to reporters before tip-off, Reeve, who also serves as head coach for USA Basketball's women's national team, defended her decision to wear the "Trans Kids Belong" shirt and criticized the broader national debate. "I come from a space of inclusion. The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women's sports," she said. "This is what's bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue."
Reeve's stance contrasted sharply with that of Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, who drew online criticism over the weekend after saying she was "not educated enough from a scientific standpoint" to take a definitive position.
Before the game, Reeve and Cunningham were seen in deep conversation on the sidelines. Afterward, Reeve described what the discussion covered. "I think it's great," she said. "I think both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate. There are some things that we have in common, and maybe some things you differ on, just like any issues. I think it's how you handle things. It was nice to be in person."
Protests turn physical outside the arena
The tension on the sidelines carried over to the streets outside Target Center, where demonstrations turned chaotic ahead of tip-off. Rallies organized outside the arena brought opposing groups face-to-face, with Cunningham supporters clashing directly with pro-trans demonstrators.
The situation escalated into a physical altercation when a female Cunningham supporter was filmed snatching a t-shirt out of the hands of a pro-trans demonstrator. A group of pro-trans protesters then swarmed the woman, wrestling the shirt back from her as shouting broke out between the two sides.
Target Center security guards and arena staff intervened to separate the opposing groups and restore order before the confrontation could escalate further. The Fever lost the game 108-100.
