The WNBA has suspended Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton from attending the team's next five home games after her exchange with two fans during Tuesday's matchup with the Indiana Fever, the league confirmed Thursday.
According to multiple reports, Keaton had admonished a pair of fans who brought signs into Climate Pledge Arena supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham following her recent comments about transgender athletes. The fans told unDividedPod.com that Keaton directed expletives at them for a sign that thanked Cunningham "for speaking up for girls."
Along with the suspension, Keaton was fined an undisclosed amount, the league said.
"We respect the league's decision to fine and suspend co-owner Celeste Keaton," the Storm said in a statement Thursday. "We remain committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for anyone who attends a Storm game."
The Storm had apologized for the incident Wednesday, with majority owner Ginny Gilder saying the team is "committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect."
Prior to Tuesday's game, a few dozen people gathered outside the arena to support Cunningham and promote a statewide ballot initiative that would bar transgender students from participating in girls' athletics at Washington schools. Some members of the group carried signs in support of Cunningham or wore T-shirts depicting the XX and XY chromosomes.
Cunningham had voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls' and women's sports in an ESPN article published last week. She was not made available by the Fever to answer postgame questions but denounced Keaton's actions on social media Wednesday.
"I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY," she wrote on X. "Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind.
"Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You'll be hearing from me soon ... yay for gifts.
"Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is."
When Fever coach Stephanie White was asked about the rally and Cunningham's recent comments Tuesday, a team public relations representative intervened and read the following statement: "Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers. Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united in that mission."
Storm coach Sonia Raman also briefly addressed a question about the pregame protest following her team's seventh consecutive loss.
"Seattle and this organization and Climate Pledge, we always want to be an area where people feel welcome coming into this building," Raman said. "I think we've always done a really good job with that. So I know our organization was working closely with Climate Pledge and the security just to make sure that everybody feels safe and included and welcome when they walk in this door.
"From what I understand, that was successful."
Information from ESPN's Alexa Philippou and The Associated Press was used in this report.
