WNBA Security Tells a Mom and Daughter to Cover ‘XX’ Shirts — League Admits It Blew It

The WNBA spent another week explaining itself after security in Atlanta told a mother and daughter to cover shirts supporting women’s sports.

Kasey and Annie Thomason were at State Farm Arena for Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream. They had paid for expensive seats. They wore XX-XY Athletics and “For the Girls” shirts. League security told them to cover up or leave.

The shirts were not obscenity. They were a biology argument: XX for women, XY for men. The Thomasons said they were there to support Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has said women’s sports should stay for women.

🚨 JUST IN: The WNBA is entering PANIC MODE after admitting to a mom and daughter being threatened with ejection from their $1K seats because they wore shirts that said "XX" and "XY" — Women and men, BASIC BIOLOGY

Security said: COVER IT UP, or you're out 🤯

WNBA: "This should… pic.twitter.com/DBXqB3r32K

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 18, 2026

The league later issued a statement. “The WNBA is aware of interactions at (Sunday) night’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts,” it said. “This should not have happened.”

That apology arrived after the clip spread. Critics noted the timing. A fan in a “protect trans rights” shirt was also asked to cover up, according to some reports. That fan had already been shown on the jumbotron. The Thomasons were not.

The episode fits a pattern. Cunningham’s comments about biological males in women’s sports made her a target. A Seattle Storm co-owner was previously fined and suspended after cursing at teenage girls who supported Cunningham. Now ordinary ticket-holders got the same message from arena security: that slogan is a problem.

The league’s own labor deal says only women are eligible to play. Public polling has long shown most Americans do not want men in women’s sports. The WNBA still treats that position as a security issue inside its buildings.

The Thomasons did not storm the floor. They wore shirts. The league had to admit its staff overreached. The damage was already done.