Third sex toy in seven days thrown onto court during WNBA game
By Frances Howe
A sex toy has been thrown onto the court during a women’s basketball game in the US on Tuesday (Wednesday, AEST) for the third time in seven days.
The latest incident comes after a man was arrested on Saturday for throwing a sex toy onto the court during a WNBA match between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries on July 30 in Atlanta.
Sex toy thrown on to the court disrupts WNBA match between LA Sparks and Indiana Fever.Credit: Twitter
Delbert Carver, 23, was charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency or indecent exposure and criminal trespass.
On Saturday (AEST), a second toy was thrown onto the court in Chicago during the Valkyries’ match against Chicago Sky. Chicago police said they had not received any complaints about that incident and no arrests were made.
The third event, on Wednesday (AEST), occurred just before the end of the first half in the match between Indiana Fever and the LA Sparks in Los Angeles. The sex toy was thrown onto the court as LA Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was shooting a free throw. It landed at the feet of Fever star Sophie Cunningham, a player who has been vocal about her distaste for the trend.
After the second incident in Chicago, Cunningham posted on X saying, “Stop throwing dildos on the court... you’re going to hurt one of us.”
Plum kicked the object off the court, to a chorus of boos from fans. She said afterwards that both teams had done a great job of “playing on, don’t give it any attention. The refs, too, I really appreciate them, too. [They were] just like, ‘Hey, let’s go’.”
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts expressed her anger after the game.
“It’s ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid,” she said. “It’s also dangerous and players’ safety is number one. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it’s really stupid.”
Australian Chloe Bibby signed for Indiana Fever last week and played during the game but was not on the court when the incident happened.
Sophie Cunningham with Indiana fever teammate Caitlin Clark.Credit: AP
In a statement last week, a spokesperson for the WNBA said: “The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league. 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.”
According to social media posts, green toys were also thrown in Phoenix and New York, but didn’t reach the court. The one at Barclays Center landed near a child.
With AP, Reuters