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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lex McMenamin in New York

The right is pushing its anti-trans fury on the WNBA. Players and fans are loudly pushing back

Sophie Cunningham on a basketball court as a fan holds a sign reading
Fans hold up trans rights signs as Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever plays near them at ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto on 18 August 2026. Photograph: Steve Russell/Toronto Star/Getty Images

At Wilka’s Sports Bar in lower Manhattan, a crowd of mostly LGBTQ+ fans was fired up during a WNBA playoff game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream. When the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones blocked the Dream’s star forward Angel Reese at the basket, then chest-bumped her – leading teammates to separate them – the bar erupted in cheers. One fan quietly joked: “Now kiss!”

“I love strong women, and I love supporting strong women,” said August, a trans organizer and Liberty fan who asked to go by their first name for privacy reasons.

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