A sign held up during player introductions was all it took to light another online fire.
Reporter @alexaphilippou shared a photo from the Unrivaled event, writing,
“Unrivaled co-founder and WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart held up an ‘Abolish ICE’ sign during player intros ahead of Mist’s game this afternoon.”
Unrivaled co-founder and WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart held up an “Abolish ICE” sign during player intros ahead of Mist’s game this afternoon.
Photo via @Unrivaledwbb pic.twitter.com/mK9TDIJ6Ge
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) January 25, 2026
The image spread fast, and WNBA Fans quickly turned the replies into a debate over politics, sports, and who should be using the stage to send messages.
Some WNBA Fans praised the moment. Others went straight for insults.
One of the harshest replies came from @GrappaGator, who wrote, “Nobody cares what a left wing lesbian from the least popular sport in the country thinks.”
The comment gained attention as WNBA Fans argued over whether the sign was brave or out of place.
Another user, @wyoung0125, twisted the message into something darker, posting, “‘I stand with child molesters’ -Breanna Stewart.”
That line sparked a second wave of replies, with WNBA Fans pushing back on the framing, while others supported it and doubled down.
The post itself was simple. A sign. A phrase. A few seconds during introductions. But WNBA Fans didn’t treat it like a small moment. The thread filled with claims about law enforcement, immigration, and the role of athletes in public life.
Some said sports should stay far away from politics. Others said athletes have always spoken out, and that this was no different. WNBA Fans on both sides pulled in past examples, media clips, and old arguments that had nothing to do with the original photo.
The reaction showed how little space there is now between on-court events and real-world fights. A single image can turn into thousands of words, most of them not about the event itself.
For WNBA Fans, the sign wasn’t just a sign. It became a line in the sand. And once again, a short moment during player intros ended up as a long, messy argument across social media.
WNBA Fans Clash Over Claims Unrivaled Was First League To Take Public Stand Against ICE
As the image of the “Abolish ICE” sign kept spreading, a new argument broke out next to it.
User @WNBAPILLED opened a separate thread, claiming, “unrivaled being the first professional sports league to take a public stance against ICE… itll always be the female athletes.”
That statement pulled WNBA Fans into a different fight, one about history, credit, and whether this moment was actually new.
Some replies focused less on the claim and more on frustration.
@CdpLesbian wrote, “Damaged the brand..I was watching and now I won’t.”
That comment reflected a wider mood in parts of the thread, where WNBA Fans said the sign pushed them away rather than pulled them in.
Others challenged the idea that Unrivaled or WNBA figures were the first to speak out.
User @mooney_cl replied, “Uh Tyrese Haliburton posted way before wnba players.”
That response shifted the conversation again, with WNBA Fans sharing old posts and screenshots to argue over who spoke first and whether it even mattered.
Before long, the replies weren’t really about the sign anymore. WNBA Fans were debating the role of leagues, the impact on viewership, and whether these public stances help or hurt the people making them.
The pattern was familiar. One claim turns into another. One photo turns into a wider story. And WNBA Fans end up talking less about what happened, and more about what they believe it means.
In the end, the sign became secondary. The real story was how quickly WNBA Fans split, reframed the moment, and built new arguments on top of it.
