Seattle WNBA Team Co-Owner Suspended For Verbal Attack On East Wenatchee Girl
Annaleigh Wilson of East Wenatchee and a female friend were the target of a verbal attack by a co-owner of the WNBA's Seattle Storm at a game in Seattle this week
Wilson was sitting courtside on Tuesday for the women's professional basketball game between Seattle and Indiana and claims Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted her and her friend and cursed the teens about a sign they held that read, "Thank you, Sophie, for standing up for girls."
The message was a nod to the Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham, who last week voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls' and women's sports in an ESPN article.
Reports have emerged about the exchange that allege Keaton used expletives towards the girls who wore t-shirts with "XX-XY Athletics" logos, representing the symbols for male and female chromosomes.
Wilson shared her account of the confrontation with Keaton with podcaster Brandi Kruse outside Climate Pledge Arena after the game.
Cunningham described Keaton’s actions on X as “truly embarrassing” while praising the young fans for “standing up for what they believe.”
The WNBA has reportedly suspended Keaton for 5 home games and fined the team an undisclosed amount. The team also issued an apology on Wednesday
Annaleigh Wilson, 16, has been at the forefront of the debate over protecting girls' sports since last year when she placed second to a male athlete from North Central Washington who competed as a girl in a 2024 Junior Olympics track meet in Cashmere.
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