During the Sparks’ second-quarter win on Tuesday night at the Crypto.com Arena, a neon green adult toy was thrown from the crowd onto the court. With just over two minutes left in the first half, the object landed near Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who quickly stepped back, while Sparks guard Kelsey Plum kicked it away from the playing area.
The crowd at Crypto.com Arena responded with boos, many moving toward the section behind the basket nearest the Sparks bench, where the toy appeared to have been thrown from. Security personnel quickly moved into the stands to identify the culprit. Sparks coach Lynn Roberts condemned the act, calling it “ridiculous,” “stupid,” and hazardous, emphasizing that player safety should always come first.
Following the incident, Cunningham noted fans walking towards the Sparks bench laughing about the situation. She referenced a prior social media post about such pranks, joking “This didn’t age well” in her post-game comments. Despite the interruption, the game proceeded without delay.
This is the fourth recent occurrence of adult toys being thrown onto the court during WNBA games in the past two weeks. Earlier incidents include one in Chicago during a stoppage in play, and another in Atlanta on July 30th which resulted in the arrest of fans and a year-long ban from the arena. Similar acts were reported in both New York and Phoenix as well.
The WNBA issued a strong statement declaring that throwing items onto the court is against league policies and local laws. The league stressed that fan and player safety is paramount and promised swift consequences, including immediate one-year bans and potential legal charges for offenders.
No public announcement was made on Tuesday regarding any action taken against the individual responsible at the Crypto.com Arena.
Fan Take: This disturbing trend of inappropriate objects being thrown during games threatens the respected image and safety of the WNBA. For fans who care deeply about the sport, it’s crucial the league enforces strict consequences to maintain a safe and positive environment for players and spectators alike.
