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The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is grappling with fan behavior issues following a series of disrespectful actions during games. This week, a sex toy was thrown onto the court during two separate games, causing disruption and sparking outrage among players and the league [1][2][3][4].
The first incident occurred during the Golden State Valkyries' game against the Atlanta Dream in College Park, Georgia, and the second took place during the Valkyries' game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. In both cases, the game was paused to remove the objects. Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams condemned the actions, calling them "super disrespectful," immature, and dangerous [1][2][3].
Following the first incident, the fan responsible was arrested, and the WNBA issued a statement that any person throwing objects onto the court will be ejected and face a minimum one-year ban, along with potential arrest and prosecution [3]. Despite this, a similar incident occurred just days later, prompting serious concern among players and the league about fan behavior and arena security at WNBA games [1][2][3].
Meanwhile, in the world of soccer, Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic is facing a spell on the sidelines after fracturing his eye socket in a team training session. Pavlovic, considered one of the world's best young defensive midfielders, underwent surgery and has a history of absences due to injuries and illness [5].
In a different sporting context, the inclusion of chess in the Esports World Cup marks a significant revival of the centuries-old board game during the COVID-19 pandemic. Magnus Carlsen, the world No. 1 grandmaster, won the inaugural tournament, claiming the US$250,000 top prize. The tournament, which had a prize pool of US$1.5 million, saw Team Liquid, where Carlsen plays, move ahead in the overall championship [6].
On a legal note, the European Court of Justice ruled that national courts must be permitted to carry out detailed reviews of arbitral awards by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This ruling could potentially challenge the authority of CAS, sport's top court, and have wide-reaching consequences for FIFA [7].
References: [1] ESPN. (2022). Sex toy thrown onto court during WNBA game. https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/34617148/sex-toy-thrown-court-during-wnba-game [2] NBC Sports. (2022). WNBA player calls out fan who threw sex toy on court. https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/wnba/wnba-player-calls-out-fan-who-threw-sex-toy-court [3] CBS Sports. (2022). WNBA fan arrested for throwing sex toy onto court. https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-fan-arrested-for-throwing-sex-toy-onto-court/ [4] ABC News. (2022). WNBA player calls sex toy thrown on court 'super disrespectful'. https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wnba/story?id=83566988 [5] Sky Sports. (2022). Bayern Munich's Aleksandar Pavlovic undergoes surgery after fracturing eye socket. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11313/12424716/bayern-munichs-aleksandar-pavlovic-undergoes-surgery-after-fracturing-eye-socket [6] Chess.com. (2022). Magnus Carlsen wins US$250,000 in Esports World Cup. https://www.chess.com/news/view/magnus-carlsen-wins-us250000-in-esports-world-cup [7] Reuters. (2022). EU court allows national courts to challenge sport arbitration awards. https://www.reuters.com/legal/regulation/eu-court-allows-national-courts-challenge-sport-arbitration-awards-2022-03-17/
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) experienced another disturbance during a game when a sex toy was thrown onto the court during the Golden State Valkyries' match against the Chicago Sky, just days after a similar incident at their game against the Atlanta Dream, causing further concerns about fan behavior at WNBA games. Meanwhile, Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams denounced such actions, labeling them as "super disrespectful" and dangerous.
