A mother and daughter attending a WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream on Sunday evening found themselves at the center of a controversy, not for the game’s outcome, but for the T-shirts they were wearing. Kasey Thomason and her daughter, Annie, were reportedly told by security to change their shirts or face ejection from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Shirt Controversy Erupts During Overtime
The Thomasons, seated just two rows from the court, were wearing XX-XY Athletics T-shirts to express their support for keeping women’s sports and spaces female. Kasey’s shirt featured the XX-XY lettering in a stars and stripes design, while Annie’s shirt, a collaboration with Riley Gaines, had “XX” on the front and “For the Girls” on the back. Initially, their attire drew no attention.
However, as the game entered overtime, a security guard approached the pair. When Kasey inquired if the issue was with their shirts, the guard informed them that another fan had expressed offense. The Thomasons were then presented with a choice: change into provided Atlanta Dream “Wellness & Health Night” shirts or be escorted out of the arena. Faced with missing the final minutes of the closely contested game, which the Indiana Fever ultimately won 95-91, Kasey reluctantly agreed to change.
Video footage from the ESPN broadcast shows the Thomasons holding the tan Dream shirts with about two and a half minutes left in overtime. They later put on the shirts, as seen with about 1:30 remaining in the game. The mother and daughter reported that other fans around them had admired their original shirts and offered support.
Arena Policies and Enforcement Questioned
The incident raises questions about the enforcement of arena policies. State Farm Arena’s list of prohibited items includes “Clothing, garments or signs displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization towards any person(s).” Similarly, the NBA Fan Code of Conduct states that “Obscene or indecent messages on signs or clothing will not be permitted.”
Critics argue that the Thomasons’ shirts, which reference the biological sex chromosomes typically associated with females (XX) and males (XY), do not fall under these prohibitions. Kasey Thomason suggested to OutKick that a woman seated courtside, who had been featured on the video board earlier and was wearing a “Protect Trans Rights” t-shirt, may have been the one to complain to security. Annie reportedly told a conservative YouTuber that this same woman later mockingly complimented them after they had changed into the Dream shirts.
The Thomasons noted that they did not see if security applied the same scrutiny to the other fan’s attire, observing only that her jacket was zipped up later in the game, obscuring any messaging.
“Wellness & Health Night” Irony Highlighted
The situation was further underscored by the irony of the event occurring during the Atlanta Dream’s “Wellness & Health Night.” According to the Dream’s website and in-game messaging, the initiative aims to “use the power of sport to improve health outcomes for women and girls across Georgia,” with both the Dream and Emory Healthcare believing sports can be a powerful tool for women’s health.
Kasey Thomason expressed that the experience negatively impacted their mental well-being, stating they felt targeted, threatened, and embarrassed. She contended that the Dream’s actions contradicted the purported goals of their women’s health initiative by mistreating women advocating for female-only spaces.
Precedent and League Concerns
This incident follows a similar event less than a month prior, where two teenagers wearing XX-XY T-shirts courtside at a Seattle Storm game were reportedly verbally harassed by a co-owner, Celeste Keaton. Keaton was subsequently suspended for five games and fined. The Thomasons believe such incidents point to a broader issue within the WNBA, suggesting that discrimination and unsportsmanlike conduct are originating from certain viewpoints within the league.
They argue that the focus should not be on fans supporting women’s sports through attire like XX-XY shirts, but rather on addressing what they perceive as intolerance from other factions. The situation highlights ongoing debates surrounding gender identity, women’s sports, and freedom of expression within professional sports arenas.
