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The WNBA faces fan misconduct issues, with sex toys thrown onto courts. The latest incident was during an Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks game. The league vows zero tolerance.
WNBA’s Sophie Cunningham and Paige Bueckers (X)
The WNBA is grappling with a disturbing trend of fan misconduct after another incident involving a sex toy being hurled onto the court—this time during Tuesday night’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.
With just over two minutes remaining in the second quarter, a sex toy was thrown from the stands and landed near Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, startling her as it landed in the lane.
Cunningham instinctively jumped back in surprise, and teammate Kelsey Plum swiftly kicked the object off the court and into the stands.
The incident comes just days after Cunningham had publicly voiced her disapproval of fans throwing inappropriate items onto the court in previous games.
Despite the jarring nature of the incident, Cunningham appeared to handle it with levity, later seen laughing with players on the Sparks’ bench.
Series of Similar Incidents Across the League
This is not an isolated occurrence. Social media posts and game reports have confirmed that similar green-colored sex toys have been thrown at WNBA games in Phoenix, New York, Atlanta, and Chicago in recent weeks.
In Brooklyn, one object landed near a child at the Barclays Center during a Liberty game, though it did not make it onto the court.
The first documented incident occurred in Atlanta, late in the fourth quarter of the Dream’s game against Golden State. A fan was immediately ejected, arrested, and handed a minimum one-year ban.
Just last Friday, during Golden State’s 73–66 win over the Chicago Sky, another sex toy was thrown under the basket following a whistle. The object was kicked aside by an official before being removed by arena staff. It remains unclear whether the person responsible was arrested.
League Response and Security Measures
In response to the incidents, the WNBA issued a stern statement reaffirming its commitment to safety and zero tolerance for such behavior:
“The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,” the league said. “Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans.
In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban, in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.”
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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