Simone Biles and Brianna Turner — Indiana Fever star sides with Simone Biles as Olympic champ launches blistering attack on Riley Gaines over trans athlete debate

Indiana Fever star sides with Simone Biles as Olympic champ launches blistering attack on Riley Gaines over trans athlete debate

Modified Jun 09, 2025 14:29 GMT

Marissa Rothenberger received support from Simone Biles and Indiana Fever star Brianna Turner after facing ridicule online. She and her team, Champlin Park, made headlines when they won the Class AAAA Softball State Championship in Minnesota. The team won the title behind a complete game from Rothenberger, a transgender pitcher who has led the team all season.

Both Biles and Turner are popular in their sports, using their large platforms to build a following on social media. While the gymnast and WNBA player are primarily focused on their respective sports, they spoke up against the hate that Rothenberger and her team received online on Friday afternoon.

Champlin Park's championship sparked conversation on social media, led by Riley Gaines, an activist who has spoken out against transgender athletes. The league that Rothenberger plays in disabled comments on their X post, congratulating the team, leading Gaines to call them out in her post.

Expand Tweet

"Comments off lol," Gaines said. "To be expected when your star player is a boy."

Gaines' post was not up for an hour before Biles responded to it. The gold-medal Olympic gymnast fired back at the activist and former swimmer on X, saying that she and the media are approaching transgender athletes incorrectly on all levels. According to her, leagues around the country at all levels need to work on welcoming all athletes to compete, regardless of their gender.

"@Riley_Gaines_You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser," Biles said. "You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!"

Turner supported Biles, proud of the Olympian for standing up against the activist and defending transgender athletes across the sports world.

"One of the most well known athlete in the world offering support to the trans community," Turner said, supporting Biles.

This is not the first time Turner has shared her thoughts on America's political landscape either.

Brianna Turner spoke out against racism in the WNBA

Turner made a statement in May on a different, but just as pressing issue: racism in the WNBA. After the Fever and Chicago Sky made headlines during the opening weekend of the regular season, the new Fever guard spoke about the investigation into the alleged racist comments made towards Sky forward Angel Reese.

“I am in full support of the league investigating potential bigoted behavior directed at players. If something is found, I hope the appropriate actions are taken. If nothing is found, I still believe it’s better safe than sorry when it comes to player safety/welfare at arenas,” she wrote on X.

The Fever have been in the spotlight throughout the early part of the 2025 season. Their popularity and the drama that follows the team have become the focal point of the big issues the league is managing, including racism towards players.

Turner, who played with Reese before joining the Fever, takes her platform very seriously and offers her support as the WNBA continues to improve. However, she does not stay within the confines of her sport, backing fellow female athletes like Biles as they fight for positive change in all sports.

About the author

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

Know More