Arena staff asks Riley Gaines to remove sign supporting Sophie Cunningham at Lynx game

Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer and public speaker, attended the Minnesota Lynx’s game against the Indiana Fever at Target Center on Sunday. While many fans displayed handheld signs for their favorite players, Gaines held a small 11 × 17-inch sign that read, “Sophie, thank you — a girl mom.”

According to Gaines, a venue staff member approached her and instructed her to lower the sign, saying it could not be displayed because it included Cunningham’s name. Gaines said she had verified that the sign met the arena’s size and content rules, which allow handheld signs under 11 × 17 inches that do not contain offensive language or obstruct other guests.

“You have to take your sign down,” the staffer told Gaines, she recalled.

Gaines refused to remove the sign, noting that other spectators in her section were holding similar signs with player names. She said the staffer later returned after the game and apologized, suggesting the request may have come from higher-up instructions.

Target Center’s posted signage policy does not prohibit signs solely because they feature a player’s name; it restricts size, lighting, offensive content, and visibility. The Minnesota Lynx did not comment on the incident.

The game itself featured coach Cheryl Reeve wearing a “Trans kids belong” shirt, and Cunningham was booed by some fans after publicly stating that women’s sports should be limited to women. Despite the vocal opposition, Cunningham made a three-point shot late in the third quarter and received a brief cheer. After the game, she met with Gaines in the tunnel and posed with the same sign that had been challenged earlier.