New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has attempted to quiet the growing storm in the WNBA by urging the league to get back to being a ‘safe space’ for all.
The league has been in headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks, with the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham sparking a transgender storm, while recent days have once again seen multiple fans throwing sex toys onto the court.
There have been rallies and protests outside Indiana Fever games in recent weeks after Cunningham’s comments in an ESPN profile that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
There are more rallies planned before the Liberty face the Fever on Saturday night in Brooklyn, but two-time league MVP Stewart is keen to try and quell the anger.
‘Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,’ Stewart told a small group of reporters Saturday morning.
‘I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.’
Breanna Stewart (left) has urged the WNBA to get back to being a ‘safe space’ for all
Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark will face the New York Liberty in Brooklyn on Saturday
At least three fans were asked by WNBA security personnel to cover shirts that had messages about transgender women participating in women’s sports during last Sunday’s game at Atlanta between the Dream and the Fever.
The league later said the fans should have been free to wear those shirts.
Stewart said Liberty fans specifically, but WNBA fans in general, come to games because ‘they can feel like they can be themselves in whatever capacity that is and we don’t want to lose sight of that.’
The Liberty forward said everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if that stops being allowed there are much bigger issues.
However, she said, trying to divide teams and players shouldn’t be tolerated.
Protests around transgender athletes have erupted at WNBA games around the country
Cathy Engelbert has spoken out over the culture war currently engulfing the WNBA
‘If we don’t allow (free speech), we need to like really kind of go back and look at more things. I think the bigger thing is people are trying to divide us as teams, but also as teammates or as opponents,’ she said.
‘This league is incredibly inclusive and what we continue to fight for and stand up against. So, we don’t want to take that platform away.’
Stewart has been an ally for the transgender community during her career. She faced some online backlash last year when one of her signature shoes had a Harry Potter theme to it. Stewart is a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and subsequent movies by author J.K. Rowling, who has drawn criticism for her anti-trans stance.
Stewart has donated royalties from that shoe to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
