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WNBA team reveals snapping turtle mascot with 'she/them' pronouns — and gets hilarious backlash
L-R: Steve Russell/Toronto Star/Getty Images

WNBA team reveals snapping turtle mascot with 'she/them' pronouns — and gets hilarious backlash

LGBTQ members were thrilled at the prospect that the mascot couple might be in a lesbian relationship.

The Toronto Tempo team of the WNBA is facing some ridicule after introducing a new mascot couple — and one with she-them pronouns.

The mascots are Dez, a snapping turtle with the non-traditional pronouns, and Dot, an arctic hare with she/her pronouns, according to a release on Wednesday.

'This is some woke trans garbage right here fitting coming from a team who's [sic] fans boo a woman fighting for no boys in girls sports.'

LGBTQ site Pink News described Dez as having "butch energy" and wondered whether the two were some variant of LGBTQ coupling.

"Naturally, the internet began wondering whether the mascots were friends, girlfriends, or perhaps simply two fictional animals trapped in the longest queer will-they-won’t-they of the WNBA," the queer site mused.

The mascots, coincidentally, were introduced at the team's Tuesday game against the Indiana Fever, whose star guard Sophie Cunningham has kicked a gender-confused hornet's nest with her opposition to males in women's sports.

The fans of the Canadian team relentlessly booed Cunningham emphatically, but she responded by helping her team defeat the Tempo.

Pink News added that many believed the Seattle Storm mascot Doppler was the first nonbinary mascot in the WNBA.

Others on social media were not as enthused about the apparently gender-confused mascots.

"Your organization is disgusting. I have 3 girls and none will be attending your games. Ever. Have fun losing more of the NBA's money," read one response.

"Butch lesbian mascot for a WNBA team you really outdid yourselves," another critic replied.

"This is f**king HUMILIATING," read another reply.

"Easily the worst mascots I've ever seen. [T]his is some woke trans garbage right here fitting coming from a team who's [sic] fans boo a woman fighting for no boys in girls sports," said another critic.

RELATED: WNBA co-owner FINED and SUSPENDED for cursing out teen fans of Sophie Cunningham

"Ladies and Gentlemen this is Liberal Toronto and Liberal Canada in a nutshell. Absolutely ridiculous… mascots are for children," said another. "Yuck."

In response to speculation that the two were in a lesbian relationship, the team said only that Dez and Dot are "besties."

Blaze News requests for comment from the WNBA as well as the Toronto Tempo were not returned.

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Carlos Garcia

Carlos Garcia

Staff Writer

Carlos Garcia is a staff writer for Blaze News.