A dash of vulgarity at a women's basketball game with a tossed dildo.
In recent WNBA games, sex toys have been repeatedly thrown onto the courts during live play, causing concern for player safety and respect for the league.
The latest incident occurred during the Atlanta Dream's 86:65 win over the Chicago Sky, where a purple sex toy was thrown onto the court [1]. Before this, a fan almost got a sex toy hit by a player in Los Angeles [2]. This disturbing trend has been a source of frustration for players and coaches, who have criticized the incidents as immature, dangerous, and disrespectful [1][2].
Sophie Cunningham, a WNBA player, expressed her concerns about the incidents on her podcast, emphasizing the safety risks involved and her disappointment that some fans continue the act despite league warnings [1]. Elizabeth Williams, another WNBA athlete, has also spoken out against the behaviour [2].
The WNBA has taken a firm stance against these incidents, condemning them and threatening a one-year ban from arenas for anyone caught throwing objects [1]. Arena security measures such as bag checks and no-bag policies are in place to prevent prohibited items from being brought in, but the persistence of these incidents suggests some offenders still manage to bypass controls or bring in items stealthily [1].
However, it's not just fans who are responsible for these incidents. The developers of a cryptocurrency have admitted to throwing sex toys onto WNBA courts, aiming to generate viral attention for their brand [3]. Two men have been arrested in the US states of Georgia and Arizona for throwing sex toys onto the court [3]. It is unclear if these developers have been charged or faced any consequences for their actions [3].
The cryptocurrency developers have stated that they wanted to avoid paying influencers for promoting their brand [3]. Despite the potential consequences, including fines or imprisonment if convicted, they plan to execute more pranks in the future [3]. However, they claim that their future pranks will be less offensive and more tasteful [3].
References: [1] USA Today, sourced from dpa/sid/hen [2] ESPN [3] The New York Times [4] The Washington Post
- Despite the WNBA's efforts to prevent it, some entertainment stunts such as throwing sex toys onto the court during games continue to happen, causing concern for player safety and disrespect for the league.
- The recent trend of fans and even cryptocurrency developers using sex toys as sports entertainment has been met with criticism from players and coaches, who view it as immature, dangerous, and disrespectful.
