The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has found itself at the center of a storm unlike any it has faced before. Over the past two weeks, a string of disruptive incidents has cast a shadow over the league’s summer action, as brightly colored sex toys have been thrown onto courts during live games. The bizarre and unsettling trend has sparked outrage from players, coaches, league officials, and fans, while igniting a vigorous debate about sexism, online culture, and the safety of athletes in women’s sports.
The first of these incidents occurred on July 29, 2025, when the Golden State Valkyries faced the Atlanta Dream. During the game, a fan hurled a sex toy onto the court, momentarily halting play and setting off a wave of copycat acts across arenas nationwide. In the days that followed, similar disruptions unfolded at games in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, and again in Atlanta and Chicago, totaling at least seven known incidents by August 9. Each episode forced brief stoppages as officials, players, or security scrambled to remove the offending objects, with some narrowly missing athletes in the heat of competition.
Law enforcement has responded swiftly. Two men have been arrested in connection with the incidents: a 23-year-old in Georgia, charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency, and criminal trespass after the initial Atlanta game; and an 18-year-old in Phoenix, accused of assault and publicly displaying explicit sexual material after an object he threw struck a fan and a young child. Ongoing investigations are probing related events in New York and other venues, as the league seeks to clamp down on the escalating disruptions.
So what’s behind this crude campaign? According to multiple reports, a group of cryptocurrency meme coin creators has claimed responsibility for organizing the stunts. The group, which recently launched a coin called Green Dildo Coin (DILDO), says the acts are intended as a protest against what they describe as a “toxic” environment in the crypto world, rather than a targeted attack on women’s sports. A spokesman for the group, known online as @Daldo_Raine, told USA TODAY that members coordinated the throwing of branded green sex toys—meant to mimic “green candles” in crypto trading—as part of a viral marketing campaign. The group claims to have advised participants to only toss items if they could do so safely, and denies any intent to harm or disrespect athletes. Still, the spokesman admitted, “catapulting sex objects with drawn-on sunglasses and the name of their coin is to spread awareness about a culture they want to perpetuate, cultivated around jokes, pranks and various stunts.”
The group’s explanations have done little to quell the outrage rippling through the WNBA community. Players and coaches have spoken out forcefully against the trend, decrying it as dangerous, disrespectful, and emblematic of deeper issues facing women’s sports. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham took to social media on August 1, pleading with fans: “Stop throwing dildos on the court [because] you’re going to hurt one of us.” Just four days later, another sex toy landed near her during a game against the L.A. Sparks, prompting teammate Kelsey Plum to remove the object herself. New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison echoed those concerns, posting, “ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??! Please do better. It’s not funny. never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous.”
Coaches have likewise condemned the incidents in no uncertain terms. Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, told reporters, “This has been going on for centuries, the sexualization of women, [and] this is the latest version of that. It’s not funny. It should not be the butt of jokes. The sexualization of women is what is used to hold women down, and this is no different.” Reeve’s words were echoed by Mariel Barnes, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who specializes in sexual violence research. Barnes called the acts “a form of sexual harassment,” adding, “Such incidents generally show how misogynistic society remains and how hostile it is toward women, especially successful women… This is evidence of the broader resistance taking place against women in modern society.”
The league itself has responded with urgency. In a statement issued August 8, the WNBA declared, “The safety of everyone in our arenas remains a top priority. We are working closely with local and federal law enforcement to pursue all appropriate actions—including arrest and prosecution with felony charges where applicable—against anyone engaged in this conduct or otherwise involved in sponsoring this reckless and unacceptable behavior.” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was even more direct, telling Sportico Sports Business, “I hope this ends with the message that if you want a criminal charge in your story, go ahead and do it. But clearly, throwing anything, let alone what they threw, can be very dangerous.”
The incidents have also shone a harsh spotlight on the challenges facing women’s sports in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Many observers note that the wave of sex toy disruptions is not merely a prank, but a reflection of longstanding problems of sexism, misogyny, and the sexualization of female athletes. The fact that no other major professional sports league has faced similar disturbances underscores the unique vulnerabilities—and the resilience—of the WNBA and its players.
Adding another layer to the controversy, online sports and betting communities have seized on the trend, with at least one crypto-based predictions market reportedly allowing users to wager on whether sex toys will be thrown at future WNBA games. The incidents have also attracted comment from political figures and media personalities, with some right-leaning commentators, including Donald Trump Jr., weighing in on the debate. But for those directly affected—the athletes, coaches, and fans—the message is clear: the acts are neither funny nor harmless, and they demand a serious response.
Despite the disruptions, the WNBA remains steadfast in its commitment to player and fan safety, working closely with law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable. The league’s growing popularity has brought new attention and scrutiny, but also a renewed determination to confront the challenges of sexism and disrespect that persist in the world of sports. As the conversation continues, the focus remains on fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment—on and off the court.
For now, the incidents remain a hot topic of discussion, a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle for equality and respect in women’s sports. But the message from players, coaches, and league officials is unmistakable: this is not a joke, and it will not be tolerated.
