On Saturday evening, several storylines from the Indiana Fever’s recent road trip resurfaced in their 109-102 loss to the New York Liberty. Just two days after a 91-85 defeat to the Dallas Wings ended their five-game winning streak, Sophie Cunningham was again booed in an opposing arena, while Caitlin Clark’s frustration once more drew attention.

The off-court drama also followed Indiana to Brooklyn. The Liberty did not take the court for the National Anthem, and a debate surrounding XX-XY Athletics shirts made headlines. Still, the situation was more complicated than it initially appeared.

With the regular season reaching its end, fans may wonder whether these moments will become a familiar part of Fever games. A closer look at the past few days, however, shows why each incident has attracted so much attention.

Sophie Cunningham gets powerful support, but outside the arena

The attention surrounding Cunningham dates back to July, when she addressed transgender participation in women’s sports in an ESPN feature. Cunningham said she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room” and believed girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in sport.

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When asked about the backlash, Cunningham stood by her position, calling it “common sense.” At the same time, she rejected the suggestion that she disliked transgender people. “I extend love, I don’t dislike anyone, I think there’s room for absolutely everyone here,” she said. “I think there’s room to love everyone.”

That explains why Fever road games have since drawn both supporters rallying for Cunningham and critics voicing their opposition.

As was visible in Canada before the Indiana Fever’s game against the Toronto Tempo five days ago, Sophie Cunningham received plenty of support from fans outside Barclays Center before Saturday’s game.

There was also a “Support Sophie Cunningham” rally at Barclays Center ahead of the Fever-Liberty matchup, held in opposition to a pro-trans rally taking place across the street. Tensions appeared to rise, and police eventually had to intervene. But that wasn’t the end of it.

Just before the game, the House Republicans’ X account posted, “Men do not belong in women’s sports. That’s just common sense.” 

The post may have been purely coincidental, but its timing was hard to overlook. So, what happened inside the arena? Three incidents help paint the picture.

First, Cunningham was booed by the crowd, just as she had faced during the game against the Tempo. During her 28 minutes on the court, the 30-year-old finished with 10 points, two rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Yet nearly every time she touched the ball, loud boos came from the stands.

Second, as Fox News’ Jackson Thompson reported, a woman in the crowd claimed that the New York Liberty attempted to change a scoreboard message she had paid for in support of XX-XY Athletics. The Liberty, however, said that the messages “are limited to positive, celebratory content,” and any that “violate that spirit are not eligible for display.”

Third, there was reportedly another incident involving Cunningham, with the New York Liberty allegedly directing a taunt toward her during the game. 

The alleged taunt from the New York Liberty 

As BrickCenter quoted Madeline Kenney, the New York Post’s Liberty beat reporter, the New York Liberty appeared to taunt Sophie Cunningham during halftime of their game against the Fever. The arena’s large screen focused on fans supporting transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports, along with several messages.

One of those messages read, “Hey trans fans! Glad you’re here! Go Liberty!” 

Later, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a New York Assembly member, shared several photos on X showing the Liberty’s message and fans supporting transgender athletes.

The caption of Gonzalez-Rojas’ post read, “The best way to shut down Sophie Cunningham’s transphobia? With a W!” 

But was everything working against Cunningham that evening? Not quite.

The Liberty’s alleged taunt also drew a sharp response from Martina Navratilova on X.

“Wow. Pretty sad…” The tennis legend wrote. “I am old enough to remember when the WNBA totally shied away from anything LGB, when the cameras would make sure to show only “straight” people… how far we have come.” 

There was also another moment when Cunningham’s actions on the court earned praise on social media. But that moment leads directly into another controversy from the night: the National Anthem. 

New York Liberty’s National Anthem controversy

A week earlier, the Atlanta Dream skipped attending the National Anthem before their game against the Indiana Fever. Last Saturday, the New York Liberty also remained in the locker room while the Anthem played before their matchup with Indiana. Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, and the rest of their Fever teammates, however, came onto the court for the Anthem.

Cunningham’s gesture of placing her hand over her heart drew particular praise from some fans, including Anthony Romano.

The TPUSA Senior Big Apple College field representative wrote on X, “THIS is one of many reasons why you should support Sophie Cunningham.” 

And on what had already been a bittersweet day for Cunningham, Caitlin Clark once again found a way to make another headline. 

Caitlin Clark admits the fault 

On Saturday, Caitlin Clark finished with 21 points in 35 minutes, along with seven assists, one steal, and four rebounds. Alongside Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, she played a major role in keeping the Fever in the game. However, she came up short during one of the game’s biggest moments.

With the Fever trailing by three in the final moments, Clark appeared to hunt for a foul instead of taking a potential game-tying 3-pointer. She then committed a quick foul, sending New York to the free-throw line. To make matters worse, she missed both of her free throws.

After the game, Clark appeared “fairly frustrated and tired,” according to Robin Lundberg. She also acknowledged that the Fever left points on the board at the free-throw line.

Speaking about the mental battle of playing through a demanding stretch, the guard said, “There are no excuses… We play more games in a row than pretty much any other team in the league, but it is what it is. Everyone’s tired and pretty sore; who cares? Figure out a way to make yourself feel better and suit up and go play.” 

Meanwhile, Clark’s chemistry with head coach Stephanie White has also come under scrutiny over the past few games. Altogether, as the Fever prepare to wrap up their five-game road trip Sunday evening, the team continues to make headlines for reasons beyond its on-court performance.

Now, all eyes will be on their matchup against the Chicago Sky. With the road trip coming to an end, the Fever can’t afford to add another loss to their record.