From spit on to hugged, Riley Gaines unlocks main problem with the WNBA, and it’s as simple as red vs blue

Riley Gaines Finds Stark Contrast in WNBA Reception: Hostility in Minneapolis, Warmth in Indianapolis

Riley Gaines, one of the country's most vocal advocates for keeping women's sports limited to biological women, has experienced dramatically different receptions at WNBA games this summer, underscoring what she and others see as a growing cultural fault line within the league.

At her first WNBA game in Minneapolis earlier this summer, Gaines was booed, yelled at, and spat on after bringing a sign into the arena that praised Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham for speaking out about protecting girls' sports.

Her second WNBA game experience, this past Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, could not have been more different. There, Gaines was met with hugs, smiles, and requests for photographs as the Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 111-91.

"My main takeaway is that when Minneapolis is booing you, it's generally a good sign," Gaines told OutKick at halftime, speaking with a note of sarcasm. "Especially for those of us with common sense and an ounce of integrity and a shred of honesty."

The atmosphere in Indianapolis stood in sharp contrast. Gaines wore a black T-shirt with neon green "XX-XY" lettering, a design that recently got fans asked to cover up at an Atlanta Dream game. In Indiana, however, she said the response was overwhelmingly positive.

"Let me tell you the difference, being here in Indiana, a home game for the Fever," Gaines said. "The looks that you're getting are smiles, people are winking. People are coming up and saying thank you. People are expressing their gratitude for the stance that I have taken. Not the same response I had in Minneapolis."

The Indianapolis game also featured a surprise appearance by former NBA player Royce White, who has been making headlines by sometimes going by "Roysha" and declaring his intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft as a self-identified trans woman. His campaign is part of a broader effort, alongside former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, to pressure the WNBA into adopting clear eligibility rules limiting participation to biological women.

White said the difference in reception between Indiana and Chicago, where Freedom was permanently banned from Wintrust Arena after a heated exchange with Chicago Sky player Natasha Cloud, was striking.

"You can't expect that, it was overwhelming," White told OutKick. "But I think people have a lot of appreciation for what Roysha is doing and some of the other people who are fighting as well. It's just so crazy to me the difference in response here in Indiana versus in Chicago. But one city is run by people who have common sense and the other one isn't, so there's that."

Gaines drew a parallel between the two men's approach and the concerns of female WNBA players, suggesting that figures like Cloud are missing the point of what Freedom and White are attempting.

"I was watching the altercation between Enes Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud where obscenities were yelled back and forth, at least on Natasha's end at Enes, and I thought to myself, ultimately, Natasha really should be thanking Enes, because what he's fighting for…is her," Gaines said. "He is fighting for her to have the opportunity and the ability to achieve and to exceed in her sport and even beyond."

The question of WNBA eligibility rules has also drawn the attention of Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who attended Friday's game seated with Gaines and her husband.

"I'm pleased to host my friend Riley Gaines tonight with her husband and we're having a good time," Rokita told OutKick. "But the fact of the matter is, there are a lot of leaders in this country who see the obvious, and the obvious is that sports teams should only have the same biological sex because there are differences. And I am so happy that these biological men are proving the point when they are coming to apply for the WNBA solely because the WNBA can't get its own bylaws straight."

Rokita suggested that state officials may take action if the league fails to clarify its own rules.

"As Indiana's Attorney General, I am looking at this very closely, from the perspective of whether you are for-profit or non-profit, the fact that you have bylaws that make sense and comply with all laws and that they are clear and non-abusive," Rokita said. "And if you can't define in your bylaws what a woman is and who's eligible to be on your teams, you're entering a real gray area in terms of law, in terms of being abusive or deceptive to those you serve. If the WNBA can't make some simple decisions about what their bylaws should read, you may see a lot of states, a lot of my friends, get involved, including Indiana."

The geographic divide within the WNBA is notable. Of the league's 15 teams, only the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings are located in reliably Republican states. Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Phoenix host teams in states that lean more purple. Cleveland is set to join the league in 2028, which may shift the balance slightly, but the current distribution leaves the league heavily concentrated in Democratic-leaning areas.

Gaines said the hostile reception in Minneapolis did not discourage her, but she acknowledged that knowing how many people across the country share her views does provide energy. She said she expects continued pushback in blue cities and states and is prepared for it.

"People are coming up and saying thank you," she said of her Indianapolis experience. "People are expressing their gratitude for the stance that I have taken."