Another WNBA Unruly Fan Incident Adds to String of Controversies
Police are investigating the alleged assault as a possible bias crime.
A Portland Fire fan reported being spat on and verbally abused with homophobic and transphobic slurs during a game against the Indiana Fever at the Moda Center. The incident occurred during the national anthem, and Portland police are treating it as a possible bias crime. Tensions were high before the game, with an opposing group protesting outside the arena.
The Fire acknowledged the incident and stated they do not condone such behavior, vowing to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all attendees. This is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding fan behavior in WNBA games. Last week, two young fans supporting Sophie Cunningham, a transgender women's advocate, were verbally harassed by Seattle Storm fans during a game.
Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder issued an apology for the incident involving co-owner Celeste Keaton. Harassment of WNBA players by fans, both in person and online, has been an ongoing problem for the league.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
