The outside of Barclays Center saw an escalated version of the protest that had followed the Indiana Fever games in the last few weeks since Sophie Cunningham’s viral interview with ESPN. On Saturday, before the Fever faced the New York Liberty, protesters gathered outside the arena, adding the latest chapter to the ongoing controversy about transgender participation in the WNBA.

However, it was the security measures that became a bigger issue for WNBA analyst Ben Daniel, who questioned New York City police for not acting against the pro-trans protesters.

“There are tons of police in that area. Maybe they don’t give a sh** about the WNBA games, and I‌ wouldn’t know,” Daniel said on his podcast on YouTube. “I’ve never been to a WNBA game‌. So, I don’t know.”

The WNBA analyst questioned the texts on the placards that protesters held. One of the placards read, “Fix your heart or die!” He was reacting to a video of the confrontation between a reporter from “Outkick” and pro-trans activists. Daniel deemed the supporters as “unhinged, unwell [and] unstable.”

“Maybe the police presence isn’t as out there ‌for a WNBA game ‌as it is for a Brooklyn Nets game. But during the Brooklyn Nets game, there are tons of police everywhere. And besides, this is New York City. There’s more police presence on any given block in the city than normal when it comes to New York City,” he added in the video.

Daniel slammed the lack of security for not intervening. He added that he wasn’t asking the protester to be escorted out of the venue, but to maintain a distance from the Outkick reporter.

“So the question is: where is the actual police or venue security to actually monitor these situations and keep them at a distance from people who hold signs saying ‘fix your hearts or die.'”

Reportedly, the reporter had entered the pro-trans crowd instead and was asking questions of them. Fox News later reported that the New York City police intervened and escorted the reporter out of the pro-trans crowd. Reports reviewed do not independently establish that he was a reporter or confirm the exact reason for the police intervention.

The two opposing sides of the protest were divided by metal barricades and NYPD officers to let the fans enter the arena.

Inside the arena, the New York Liberty displayed messages in support of trans fans. During halftime, the message on the jumbotron read, “Welcome Trans Liberty fans! You are loved and you belong!”

This was perhaps the largest protest seen outside any arena since Sophie Cunningham claimed that “young girls shouldn’t have to play against “biological men.” Her comments have since fueled questions about transgender participation.