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See the full story · 3 sourcesJul 28, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Seattle Storm forward Jordan Horston (23) fight for the losse ball during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Over the past few days, Indiana Fever superstar Sophie Cunningham has sparked controversy and conversation across the sports world after she took a stand against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Some have come to Cunningham’s support while others have expressed their disagreement. But one Seattle Storm team owner seems to have crossed a line.
During Tuesday night’s game between the Seattle Storm and the Indiana Fever, a couple of teenage girls with signs supporting Cunningham claimed that they were yelled at by a Storm co-owner. Now, that co-owner has been suspended by the WNBA.
Fans ‘Berated’
Following Tuesday night’s game, a couple of teenage fans claimed that they were berated by a woman who was identified as Seattle Storm team co-owner Celeste Keaton.
“Well, we were just sitting there with our signs that said like, ‘We love Sophie,’ like, ‘Thank you Sophie for speaking up,'” one of the young girls recounted, via Brandi Kruse . “And so we were holding on, just watching the game, again, like, we were being super great, we hadn’t said anything to anyone else, we were being super respectful, we were just holding our signs and cheering for both teams, and this lady, older lady comes up to us.”
The girl said that she was brought to tears as a result of the encounter.
“Yeah, I’ve never been yelled at like that. I mean, I’ve had people hate me on the internet, but like it doesn’t really affect me as much because it’s just people online,” she said. “But that just took me by surprise because I thought she was going to be nice and then she starts like screaming at us and cussing at us.”
Keaton Suspended 5 Games
On Wednesday afternoon, the Storm acknowledged the incident and issued a public apology.
“We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game. We apologize that this happened,” Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder said in a statement released Wednesday. “Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”
Following the apology, prominent Indiana Fever reporter Roberta Rodrigues reported that the WNBA had fined Keaton and barred her from attending the next five Storm home games as a result of the incident.
“Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton has been fined and suspended from attending the team’s next five home games after last night’s incident involving Fever fans, the WNBA confirmed,” Rodrigues wrote in a post on X .
This means that Keaton will not be able to attend another Storm home game until September.
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