The match was briefly stopped as a result of the incident before it was kicked off the court by players. It is the third time in seven days that WNBA games have been disrupted by sex toys thrown from the crowd.
When has this happened before?
The first time one of the green adult toys was thrown on to the court during a game was at the Golden State Valkyries 77-75 victory over Atlanta Dream in Georgia on Tuesday last week. The man alleged to have thrown the toy, Delbert Carver, was arrested last Saturday and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass. Carver has been released from Clayton County Jail in Georgia on bond.
The second incident happened during the third quarter of last Friday’s Valkyries 73-66 victory over Chicago Sky at the Wintrust Arena and was widely condemned.
Why is this happening?
While it was assumed after the first time that this was a bizarre one-off, the act seems to have turned into a trend. It is unclear why spectators are throwing a specific type of green sex toy onto courts at WNBA games and it is also not known if the incidents are related or just “copycat” incidents. It has been suggested it could be a protest against women’s basketball, but no organisation have come forward claiming it was because of their cause.
What has been said?
Sky centre Elizabeth Williams told reporters after the first incident in Chicago last week that the act was “super disrespectful” and said: “Whoever is doing it just needs to grow up.”
The WNBA also put out a statement explaining that any culprit found guilty of throwing objects on to the field of play will be issued with ejection and a one-year ban.
“The safety and wellbeing of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,” it said. “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.”
After the LA Sparks win, LA coach Lynne Roberts told reporters: “I think it’s ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid. It’s also dangerous and players’ safety is number one. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it’s really stupid.”
