Brianna Turner Alleges Fever Players Were Told To Hush About Sexual Harassment Case Last Year

WNBA seasoned Brianna Turner said connected societal media this week that nan Indiana Fever fired a antheral unit personnel for intersexual harassment past play and encouraged players not to speak astir nan matter.

Turner, who played for Indiana past twelvemonth and is now a personnel of nan Las Vegas Aces, provided nary different specifications astir immoderate alleged incidents. The Fever issued a connection Thursday but did not straight reside Turner’s allegations.

“Protecting our players and labor and maintaining a respectful, master workplace is our apical priority,” nan Fever said successful its statement. “Our argumentation is to return concerns seriously, analyse thoroughly, and enactment promptly erstwhile due to protect nan group successful our statement and guarantee everyone is treated pinch professionalism and respect. Fostering spot and information successful that process intends we do not remark connected unit matters involving erstwhile employees.”

Turner made her comments Wednesday in an X thread successful which she defended nan correct of transgender women to participate successful women’s sports. “So galore takes astir them are based connected fearfulness mongering and bigotry,” Turner wrote.

Her posts came a time aft an ESPN article quoted Fever defender Sophie Cunningham, Turner’s erstwhile teammate, saying she wants “to protect young girls successful a locker room, aliases young girls successful athletics who shouldn’t person to spell against biologic men.”

“A mini number of nan organization identifies arsenic trans, yet they are ever a trending taxable unfortunately. I’m successful my 8th play arsenic a WNBA player,” wrote Turner, who did not mention Cunningham successful her posts. “To day there’s been 1 retired trans subordinate successful nan league. They caused zero problems.”

She continued: “An rumor that has caused problems though? Last twelvemonth connected my WNBA squad a antheral unit personnel was fired for intersexual harassment, but we were encouraged to support quiet astir it. That is an issue. Sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and racism are each issues.”

Turner spent her first 5 seasons pinch Phoenix, past 1 pinch Chicago earlier going to nan Fever past year. For those conscionable becoming acquainted pinch her and her beliefs this week, Turner reposted thing she wrote a mates years ago.

“If you are caller here, I americium a vocal state of nan trans community,” Turner wrote connected X successful 2024. “If that bothers you, don’t hesitate to shut up aliases artifact me. I don’t person nan capacity aliases patience to statement pinch net strangers arsenic to why they should beryllium considerate of marginalized communities.”

In April, Turner penned an sentiment portion for USA Today successful which she harshly criticized nan recently adopted argumentation by nan International Olympic Committee that excludes transgender women athletes from competing astatine nan Olympics, starting pinch nan 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“Policies that azygous retired transgender women and athletes pinch intersex variations do not protect women’s sports,” Turner wrote. “They manufacture a scapegoat while nan existent challenges to women’s sports spell unaddressed: unequal funding, constricted entree to training and facilities, salary disparities, male-dominated leadership, gender-based unit and harassment crossed race, sex, intersexual predisposition and gender identity.”

On Wednesday, Cunningham said she has thing against nan transgender organization but stands by nan comments she made successful nan ESPN article.

“When it comes to conscionable protecting young girls successful athletics and women successful sport, I consciousness very powerfully astir that,” Cunningham told reporters. “That’s why you person Title IX. That’s why you person immoderate of nan greats successful women’s sports. If Title IX and women’s sports weren’t protected, past you wouldn’t perceive astir immoderate type of women successful sport.”

Last year, President Trump signed an executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” that looked to guarantee that entities receiving national backing abide by Title IX successful alignment pinch his administration’s position that a person’s activity is nan gender they were assigned astatine birth.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said Thursday successful support of Cunningham and her opinions connected nan matter.

“We want to protect women and girls,” Leavitt said, “and nan backlash she is receiving from Democrats and left-wing figures crossed nan state is astonishing.”