Why are WNBA 'fans' throwing green sex toys on the court? Explaining NSFW object's increased presence at recent games

David Suggs

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Why are WNBA 'fans' throwing green sex toys on the court? Explaining NSFW object's increased presence at recent games image

Three WNBA games were stopped after bright green sex toys were tossed onto the court in the past two weeks. On two more occasions, similar sex toys were tossed toward courts but didn't hit their intended targets.

The first two took place during Valkyries' road games, drawing condemnation around the league. Fever forward Sophie Cunningham expressed injury concerns over the gesture on social media.

Meanwhile, Sky center Elizabeth Williams took umbrage with the "immature" act, labeling it as "super disrespectful."

“Whoever is doing it just needs to grow up," Williams said during a postgame press conference after Chicago fell to Golden State, 73-66 on Aug. 1. A green dildo was thrown onto the court partway through the third quarter of that game.

Here's what you need to know about the unsavory tradition that has proven increasingly common in recent games.

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Why are WNBA 'fans' throwing green sex toys on courts?

It's unclear why people are throwing dildos onto the floor at WNBA games. The first incident took place at the end of the Valkyries' clash with the Dream in Atlanta on July 29. A fan hurled a neon green dildo toward the basket with less than a minute left. Television cameras picked up the moment and its aftermath as a laughing security guard whisked the object away with a towel.

The incident in Atlanta came at a major inflection point in the clash. Golden State and Atlanta were locked into a one-point game at the time. The object nearly collected a Valkyries player in the carnage, said Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes postgame.

The WNBA announced that the fan who threw the initial sex toy in Atlanta was arrested in a statement posted on social media on Saturday evening. The league also announced it would dole out punishment for any fan found to intentionally throw objects on the floor.

"The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league," the WNBA said. "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."

The Aug. 1 occurrence in Chicago brought about more forceful denunciations. Referee Blanca Burns quickly stepped on the sex toy before a Sky staffer removed it.

The third time it happened was on Aug. 5, but this was the first incident that didn't involve the Valkyries. The Fever were playing the Sparks in L.A. It hit the floor in the second quarter after Kelsey Plum hit a free throw, and she kicked it off the court. Twice more that same night, games in Brooklyn and Phoenix had sex toys thrown toward the court but land in the stands, with the latter incident leading to the arrest of an 18-year-old fan.

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It's unclear whether the five incidents are related. They took place in different cities, which could suggest the gesture is appealing to copycats. 

The sex toy throws that didn't result in arrests were claimed. It was a company that had a cryptocurrency called DILDO, and they did the stunt to drive up awareness. And they said they added sunglasses to it like their crypto logo. The company said that it was to protest toxicity from large crypto corps to smaller traded coins. 

Another dildo landed on the court during an Aug. 7 game between the Sky and the Dream — one of two reportedly thrown at the game. The difference with this one was that it wasn't green but purple, including it was not part of the crypto promotion.

The WNBA is perhaps the most LGBTQ+-friendly league in American sports. The motion could be seen as a joke, but as Williams said, it comes off as immature at best and cruel at worst. Not to mention the fact that the objects in question are small and slippery, meaning if a player were to step on it wrong, it could have disastrous effects on their health.

Athletes across the world have been pelted by objects. Never has it been a cool thing. The same is true in this situation. Perhaps people can begin to behave like adults and remember they're at games to watch the world's best shine beneath glimmering lights.

For some, that's easier said than done.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.