RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Aug 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) against the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center. © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Breanna Stewart had a big night on the court Saturday. She scored 22 points and helped the New York Liberty pick up their 23rd win of the season, beating the Indiana Fever 109-102.
But it wasn’t her scoring that had people talking afterward. It was something she said before the game even started.
XX-XY Athletics Target Breanna Stewart on Social Media
Before the game even started, things were already tense outside Barclays Center. Two separate rallies showed up, one on each side of the ongoing transgender athlete debate that’s been following the WNBA around for weeks now.
Fans held signs, some backing Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s stance against trans athletes competing in women’s sports; others were pushing back the other way.
When Stewart sat down for her pregame interview, reporters wanted her take. She kept it fairly measured and said that she just wants the league to feel like a safe space for everyone. No matter which side of the debate someone falls on.
“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. 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,” Stewart said to the reporters.
Not long after her comments started circulating, the official X account for XX-XY Athletics, the apparel brand known for advocating against trans athletes competing in women’s sports, jumped in.
The page reposted Stewart’s “safe space” remark, but paired it with a reminder of an incident that had happened weeks earlier in Seattle.
“It wasn’t very ‘Safe’ when a couple HS girls supporting Sophie Cunningham up in Seattle, wearing a XX-XY tee, were screamed at by the Storm’s co-owner,” the post read .
Back in late July, a couple of teenage girls showed up to a Fever-Storm game wearing XX-XY gear. They were there to support Cunningham, holding signs thanking her for speaking up for girls in sports.
According to the girls, Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted them and cursed at them for their views.
MORE: ‘Pretty Sad’ – Martina Navratilova Slams Liberty’s Scoreboard Message Amid Sophie Cunningham-Led Trans-Athlete Debate
The story didn’t stay quiet for long. Once it got out, the WNBA stepped in. The league suspended Keaton from five home games and fined her. The Storm organization also issued an apology, saying that wasn’t how the team wanted fans, especially young ones, to be treated at a game.
Stewart hasn’t responded directly to the repost yet. But given how much attention this whole issue has gotten this season, from arena protests to security asking fans to cover up shirts at other games, it’s unlikely this is the last word on the subject.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
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