Latest & Breaking News on Fox News
· collected 2026-08-20 · by Jackson Thompson
The head coaches of the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries, Cheryl Reeve and Natalie Nakase, criticized the "Save Women's Sports" movement at a pregame press conference in San Francisco. The coaches dismissed the movement as a political talking point and expressed support for trans athletes, with Reeve stating that trans kids belong. Outside the Chase Center, a pro-transgender counterprotester mob outnumbered and harassed a group of women's sports activists, including shouting profanities and name-calling. About 8-9 women were reportedly surrounded by the aggressive crowd.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, and Natalie Nakase, head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, spoke out against the "Save Women's Sports" movement, which aims to protect women's sports from alleged transgender participation. The coaches made their comments ahead of a game between the two teams at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wednesday. However, their statements were overshadowed by a confrontation between pro-trans activists and rally attendees outside the stadium. The pro-trans activists allegedly descended upon the rally "aggressively", but it's unclear what happened next. Both coaches criticized the movement, with Reeve saying that people are being misled into supporting it as a way to address social issues, while Nakase expressed concern about "hate speech" in sports.
Written for “Trans Athlete Activism Spreads” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The WNBA's dealings with the "Save Women's Sports" movement expanded beyond Indiana Fever games.
asserted
dealings → save → games
A rally to support the protection of women's sports was held outside the Chase Center in San Francisco ahead of Wednesday's game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Minnesota Lynx, and a mob of pro-trans activists aggressively descended on it.
asserted
mob → support → it
But before the game, the head coaches of both teams appeared to criticize the movement as a whole when asked about the rally.
asserted
coaches → appear → rally
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said that "people are buying into" the movement but dismissed it as political talking point.
"I have said this before, trans kids belong.
asserted
kids → say → this
And I think, as we're seeing sort of politically, in this country, they've found a talking point that people are buying into, and the only thing I ask is that people educate themselves further on these issues and what we're capable of doing together.
asserted
we → think → what
And that something is not used just to marginalize a community," Reeve told reporters at a pregame press conference when asked about her stance on the issue.
asserted
Reeve → use → issue
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was asked about the rally, and insisted that there is too much "hate speech" going on in sports.
"
asserted
Nakase → ask → sports
In the world and just in sports right now, there's too much hate that's going on.
asserted
that → be → sports
I would highly suggest people lead with love.
asserted
people → suggest → love
I love to lead with love," Nakase said.
asserted
Nakase → love → love
Both coaches had previously expressed support for trans athletes, and Reeve wore a "trans kids belong" shirt during a game against Sophie Cunningham and the Fever on Aug. 2.
asserted
kids → express → Aug.
Meanwhile, outside the arena, a horde of pro-transgender counterprotesters swarmed the rally and outnumbered the women's sports activists, multiple attendees told Fox News Digital.
asserted
attendees → swarm → Digital
The pro-trans crowd wielded signs and chanted loudly in unison in support of trans rights.
asserted
crowd → wield → rights
Family rights attorney Erin Friday told Fox News Digital the opposition shouted obscenities at her and other women's sports advocates.
asserted
opposition → tell → her
"We were outside of this Chase Center holding signs peacefully.
asserted
We → hold → signs
There were about eight to nine women, majority are lesbians, majority are Democrats or former Democrats, and the crowd came by us yelling profanities, telling us to get out," Friday said.
asserted
Friday → be → us
"They would start, maybe with rational discussion, and then it would quickly divulge into name calling...
asserted
it → start → calling
We were surrounded for a while with a group of women holding signs who were knocking into us, quite agitated."
asserted
who → surround → us
Arianne Gieringer, the vice president of LGB Alliance USA, told Fox News Digital a counterprotester told her she "didn't belong" there.
asserted
she → tell → her
"One of the counter protesters kept shouting at us that we don't belong here because this is San Francisco," Gieringer said.
asserted
Gieringer → shout → us
"I just brought up was I was born and raised and spent my entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area.
asserted
I → bring → Area
I told her that.
asserted
I → tell → that
Are you telling a lifelong San Francisco Bay Area resident that I don't belong there?"
asserted
I → tell → resident
Footage obtained by Fox News Digital showed a security representative telling the women's sports activists not to bring their signs into the arena, but also telling them that their XX-XY Athletics shirts were fine and "not offensive."
asserted
shirts → obtain → them
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Golden State Warriors, parent organization of the Valkyries and owners of the Chase Center, for a response.
asserted
Digital → reach → response
The verbal acceptance of the shirts comes just days after a national controversy when a WNBA security representative told a mom and daughter to cover their XX-XY Athletics shirts at Sunday's game between the Fever and Dream in Atlanta.
asserted
representative → come → Atlanta
The mom and daughter alleged the man told them the shirts were "offensive."
asserted
shirts → allege → them
The WNBA and Dream have since addressed the incident and said it should not have happened.
asserted
it → address → incident
The Lynx went on to beat the Valkyries 77-66 to improve to 30-7 and cement their spot at the top of the WNBA standings.
asserted
Lynx → go → standings
The rally marked the third organized "Save Women's Sports" demonstration at a WNBA game this week alone, with two more planned before the week's end.
asserted
two → mark → end
Rallies in support of Cunningham followed the Fever to their Sunday game in Atlanta and Tuesday game in Toronto.
asserted
Rallies → follow → Toronto
Similar rallies are now set to also take place outside the Fever's game in Dallas on Thursday and New York on Saturday.
asserted
rallies → set → Saturday
If those two rallies go off as expected, it will mark 10 total rallies at WNBA games in support of protecting women's sports in the span of 26 days.
asserted
it → go → days
