The WNBA has a sex toy problem.
It started in College Park, Ga., where a fan threw a green dildo on the court during a July 29th Golden State Valkyries–Atlanta Dream game.
Another dildo hit the court in Chicago on Aug. 1, and a third interrupted Tuesday night’s Los Angeles Sparks–Indiana Fever game in Los Angeles.
The person who threw the dildo on the court at Gateway Center Arena, where the Dream play, was arrested and faces charges of criminal trespassing, public indecency, and disorderly conduct.
In a separate incident Tuesday night, a green dildo was apparently thrown in Brooklyn during the New York Liberty’s game against the Dallas Wings, but it did not reach the court. A fan posted a video of the object in the stands and arena security rushing over and promptly removing it.
The fan who posted the video on X told Front Office Sports that they did not see where it was thrown from, but it landed directly behind where they were sitting and nearly hit someone. No one in their section was ejected, according to the fan. The Liberty declined to comment. New York police told FOS no report had been filed.
Across the country in Los Angeles, the dildo was thrown late in the second quarter after the Fever went to inbound the ball following Kelsey Plum’s free throws. The dildo appeared to hit Fever guard Sophie Cunningham in the leg before Plum attempted to kick it off the court.
The initial response from some players in the WNBA was humorous. Fever guard Sydney Colson went on her podcast dressed as the green dildo after the initial incident in Atlanta. Her cohost and former teammate Theresa Plaisance then conducted an interview with Colson in jest.
However in the weeks since, as incidents continue to occur, players’ patience has worn thin.
“Arena security?!” Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison posted on social media. “Hello?! Please do better. It’s not funny. Never was funny. Anything on the court is so dangerous.”
“It’s super disrespectful,” Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams said following the Sky’s game against the Valkyries. “I don’t really get the point of it. It’s really immature. Whoever’s doing it just needs to grow up.”
On Aug. 1, Cunningham posted on X saying, “stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.”
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts echoed players’ sentiments following her team’s win over the Fever.
“It’s ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid,” Roberts said postgame. “It’s also dangerous. Player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things. I think it’s really stupid.”
In an interview with FOS, retired WNBA legend Diana Taurasi said, “I would have picked that thing up and thrown it right back at them.”
The league did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. After the Chicago incident, it said in a statement that any fan who threw an object on the court would be banned for at least a year.
Though no culprit has been identified in Chicago, Sky president Adam Fox told FOS that the team handed over arena security footage to Chicago police, who he said were investigating. If police can identify the thrower, the Sky will press charges, Fox said.
“It’s not safe,” Fox said. “It’s literally in the announcement before the game. Throwing objects, running onto the floor, any of that stuff is prohibited.”
