A sex toy landed near Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during a game against the LA Sparks in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, marking the third such incident in the WNBA in the past week. The object was thrown from the stands with 2:05 left in the second quarter and landed in the lane near Cunningham, who had previously spoken out against fans throwing toys onto the court.
Kelsey Plum kicked the toy into the stands, while Cunningham walked over to the Sparks bench laughing. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts criticised the act, calling it 'ridiculous, dumb, and stupid', and emphasised the danger to players' safety. 'Respecting the game. All those things. I think it's really stupid,' she said after the match.
The incident follows two others earlier in the week. In Atlanta, a fan was arrested and banned for a minimum of one year after throwing a sex toy during a game against Golden State. On Friday in Chicago, another toy was thrown during the third quarter of the Sky's match against Golden State, though it is unclear if that fan was arrested.
The WNBA released a statement affirming that the safety of players and fans is a priority, and that anyone throwing objects onto the court will be ejected and face a minimum one-year ban, as well as potential arrest and prosecution. Social media reports also indicated that green toys were thrown at games in Phoenix and New York but did not reach the court, with one landing near a child at Barclays Center.
