WNBA Suspends Storm Co-Owner Five Games Over Confrontation With Teen Fans of Sophie Cunningham

Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton will not attend another home game until September. The WNBA confirmed to Fox News Digital that Keaton has been fined and suspended for five games following an incident with two teenage fans at a game against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena.

The Fever won that game 105-95, their fourth straight victory. But the result got overshadowed by what happened in the stands.

What the girls say happened

Two teenage fans attended the game holding signs reading "We love Sophie" and "Thank you Sophie for speaking up," a reference to Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's recent public comments opposing transgender athletes competing in women's sports. The girls wore XX-XY Athletics gear and had court-side seats.

According to independent Seattle journalist Brandi Kruse, who was in the arena with the girls, one of them described being approached by an older woman during the game. "This lady, older lady comes up to us," the girl told Kruse. "She starts like screaming at us and cussing at us." The girl said she was brought to tears, adding, "I've never been yelled at like that. It doesn't really affect me as much [when it's] just people online." Kruse identified the woman as Keaton only after the confrontation.

Kruse also said she witnessed Storm players make mocking gestures toward the girls, though that claim has not been independently corroborated by other sources reviewed here.

The team's response

Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging the incident. "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," Gilder said. "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."

Hours later, Fever reporter Roberta Rodrigues reported that the WNBA had fined Keaton and suspended her from the team's next five home games. Fox News Digital confirmed the suspension directly with the league.

Cunningham weighs in

Cunningham addressed the situation late Wednesday, reposting Fox News Digital's report on X. "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," she wrote. "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's stance, first laid out in an ESPN feature last week, has been the flashpoint for the broader controversy. "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said. "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." She's also said she's "very much in the middle" on the broader political debate.

A split reaction online

Not everyone thinks the punishment was warranted. According to The Comeback, fans on social media pushed back hard against the suspension. "This league is a joke," one fan wrote on X. "Exactly why these fans do what they do. They suffer no repercussions. Free Celeste," another posted. A third wrote, "League picked a side btw. This should tell you everything you need to know."

If Keaton's conduct matched what the girls described, a five-game suspension and fine for an owner cursing at minors is a modest, not excessive, response. The counterargument—that this looks like the league punishing someone for reacting badly to a message tied to a divisive issue rather than for the underlying substance—deserves to be taken seriously.

Separately, Storm forward Stefanie Dolson wore a "Trans Rights Are Human Rights" T-shirt before the game. Breitbart framed it as an attempt to "virtue signal" against Cunningham. The gesture underscores that this was a locker room and ownership box already primed for confrontation before Keaton's alleged remarks.

A rally supporting Cunningham drew a few dozen people outside Climate Pledge Arena before the game, met by a smaller group of counter-protesters. The Fever organization has said neither the team nor Cunningham had any connection to the rally and has declined further comment on it.

Keaton has not publicly responded to the allegations as of this writing. No independent video of the alleged confrontation with the girls, distinct from Kruse's account, has been made public. The WNBA has not detailed the specific language in its findings beyond confirming the fine and suspension. Whether Keaton disputes the girls' account, and whether the Storm ownership group takes any further internal action, remains unresolved.