Riley Gaines makes explosive Sophie Cunningham claim after WNBA sign row: ‘I am not a provocateur’ | International Sports News
Riley Gaines says her support for Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has brought hostility inside WNBA arenas, including an incident in Minneapolis where she says a staff member told her to remove a sign with Cunningham’s name. Gaines says she also faced dirty looks, shoulder nudges and threats around games. Cunningham, however, told Gaines she was not bothered by the boos or headlines because she believed she was doing the right thing. The dispute comes as the WNBA faces a fight over transgender athletes, fan signs and arena rules.
Riley Gaines and Sophie Cunningham face pressure at WNBA games
Gaines attended the Indiana Fever-Minnesota Lynx game in Minneapolis wearing an XX-XY Athletics shirt and carrying a handwritten sign that said, “Sophie, thank you. Signed, a girl mom.” She says a staff member told her to put it down because it had Cunningham’s name.“I am not a provocateur. It might be surprising to some, but I don’t like confrontation. I never want to be an instigator, stir the pot, cause a problem, or make a scene,” Gaines said.“The amount of dirty looks you get, and people who intentionally go out of their way to do a little shoulder nudge at you.”Gaines also questioned the sign rule, saying, “But guess what? I saw tons of signs with many different players’ names that were far less kind or positive than mine that were allowed to stay up.”Gaines received no direct response from the WNBA. Cunningham, however, told her, “I am following up on this. I want to get to the bottom of this.”The dispute is part of a series of fan incidents. Gaines pointed to Washington teenager Anna Lee Wilson and Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton after a dispute over an XX-XY Athletics shirt. The WNBA later suspended Keaton for five home games. In Atlanta, a mother and daughter were also told by arena security to cover their XX-XY shirts or leave.
Sophie Cunningham, Cathy Engelbert and Enes Kanter Freedom in WNBA fight
Gaines said Cunningham has stayed firm despite the boos surrounding her views. Cunningham’s response, according to Gaines, was: “Riley, I’ve got it. I’m good. It doesn’t bother me when I hear people booing or when you see the headlines or whatever. It doesn’t bother me because I know what I’m doing is the right thing.”Gaines gave WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert a mixed review. “I mean, of course, she’s led very poorly,” Gaines said. “But when I was thinking about the effect of Cathy Engelbert’s leadership – or lack thereof – the WNBA is probably having the most viewership, profit, and revenue generation they’ve ever seen. You’re kind of seeing the WNBA fail upward. If we’re judging the WNBA as a business, which it is at the end of the day, then Cathy Engelbert actually is doing a good job at it.”She also called Enes Kanter Freedom’s protest “genius,” saying he was “forcing the WNBA’s hand.” Gaines added that safety concerns kept her away from one rally: “I’m not looking to get punched in the face; I don’t want to bring that along with me.”Her main demand remains a clear league position: “I hope we have an answer from the WNBA about what a woman is – today, tomorrow, yesterday.”
