The New York Liberty made their stance on the ongoing debate over trans athletes clear with a halftime message during their win over Sophie Cunningham‘s Indiana Fever.
The Liberty beat the Fever 109-102 under tons of national attention, as a pro-trans athlete rally and an anti-trans athlete rally took place outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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The Liberty made their feelings on the matter clear with messages to the fans on their arena jumbotron during the halftime break in this clash.
Liberty welcome their trans fans amid rising WNBA backlash
The Liberty shared messages on their jumbotron for the fans in attendance during halftime, specifically thanking any trans fans who attended the game with words of affirmation.
“Welcome Trans Liberty fans! You are loved, and you belong!”
“Hey trans fans! Glad you’re here! Go Liberty!”
The Liberty are embracing a gender-positive view for their audience, but the franchise is unlikely to make any public stance on transgender athletes known, especially as the WNBA is already engaging all relevant stakeholders to come up with solutions.
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With the mainstream attention on WNBA games, specifically Fever games due to Caitlin Clark, and now Cunningham, the Liberty reassuring their trans fans that the game is a safe space with these messages is a welcome move.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Regardless of where one falls on the debate of who should play in the WNBA, all teams would agree that their fans should be free to attend games without fear of persecution or being subject to hate.
Cunningham’s view has been isolated to sports, and the 30-year-old Fever guard has not made any comments attacking the legitimacy of gender identity, just that biological women should be protected in women’s sports.
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The WNBA will likely come up with a long-term solution before the 2027 WNBA Draft, especially with the actions of former NBA players Enes Kanter and Royce White declaring for the draft to point out holes in the WNBA’s eligibility criteria.
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