The WNBA suspended Seattle Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton for five home games and issued her an undisclosed fine over a confrontation with two teenage Indiana Fever fans. Now, the mother of one of the girls has shared her account of what happened.
In a lengthy social media post, Elizabeth Wilson accused Keaton of bullying her 16-year-old daughter over a sign supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during the teams’ July 29 game in Seattle, saying the encounter left the teenager in tears and forced her to put the sign away.
Mother Shares Detailed Account of Confrontation Involving Storm Co-Owner And Her Daughter
The mother’s statement is the latest development in an incident that has drawn widespread attention since the Fever’s 105-95 win over the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena.
During the game, two teenage girls sitting courtside held signs thanking Cunningham “for speaking up for girls,” referring to the Fever guard’s recent comments on women’s sports. The confrontation that followed led to an apology from the Storm, a WNBA investigation and disciplinary action against Keaton.
According to Elizabeth Wilson, her daughter, Ahnaleigh, and a friend were seated courtside for the game and were excited to support one of their favorite players, Sophie Cunningham. Before they entered the courtside area, arena security inspected each of their signs after telling them political signs were not allowed.
She said the signs met the arena’s size requirements and were approved. However, she questioned why “Vote No on Protecting Female Sports” signs, which she claimed were being handed out outside the arena, were also allowed inside.
The mother said the girls spent the first half cheering and being respectful before the situation took a turn during halftime.
She claimed an older woman walked across the court, approached the girls and said, “Jesus loves everyone.” According to the post, Ahnaleigh replied, “I know He does.”
The mother said the woman then became confrontational, asking, “What [expelative] are you trying to pull?” before pointing at her head, calling the girls [expelative] insane.”
Watching from seats behind the girls, the mother said she immediately noticed her daughter’s excitement disappear.
“I watched my daughter’s shoulders drop. I could tell she was crying. In a matter of moments, the excitement she’d carried all day disappeared,” she wrote.
The mother of one of the girls who was attacked by Seattle Storm co-owner and players speaks out
She says they were told political signs aren’t allowed however leftist activists were allowed to bring signs in while they weren’t.
Her 16-year-old daughter was so excited for her… pic.twitter.com/VoJbsvzm6h
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 30, 2026
She also said fans sitting nearby mocked the girls’ shirts, told them Cunningham was not standing up for girls, and repeatedly leaned away from them “as though they were contagious.”
The mother identified the woman who confronted the teenagers as Seattle Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton.
“My daughter was bullied into putting her sign away by Celeste Keaton, one of the owners of the Seattle Storm,” she wrote.
She added that arena security initially acknowledged the girls should not have been treated that way and wanted to identify the person involved. However, she claimed the response changed once staff realized one of the people involved was a member of the Storm ownership group.
She ended the post with a direct message to Keaton, writing, “Celeste Keaton should be embarrassed about her behavior.”
The statement came after the Storm publicly apologized for the incident.
The WNBA acted swiftly and barred Keaton from attending the Storm’s next five home games through Sept. 17. The league also issued her an undisclosed fine over the confrontation.
Cunningham later reacted after the league announced its decision. Thanking the teenagers for their support, she said people can disagree without being disrespectful and called Keaton’s behavior “truly embarrassing.”
