The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has found itself at the center of a bizarre and troubling controversy, as a series of viral pranks involving green sex toys being hurled onto the court has sparked outrage, debate, and even political memes. What began as a disruptive act during games has now evolved into a cultural flashpoint, drawing in cryptocurrency promoters, political figures, and a chorus of voices both condemning and trivializing the incidents.
The saga began gaining national attention on April 25, 2024, when, during a heated matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky in Atlanta, Georgia, a green dildo landed near the Dream bench. Not long after, another sex toy was tossed onto the court, disrupting play and leaving both players and coaches visibly unsettled. Cryptocurrency traders quickly stepped forward to claim responsibility, with a group operating under the moniker Green Dildo Coin (DILDO) announcing their involvement and launching a memecoin to capitalize on the viral moment.
The group’s spokesperson, who goes by @Daldo_Rain, told USA Today that their campaign was meant to promote the coin and, as they put it, challenge the “toxic” culture within the crypto community. However, their antics have been widely condemned as misogynistic and disrespectful to women athletes. The group has shown little remorse, indicating that they have no plans to halt the so-called pranks anytime soon, and that more such incidents could be on the horizon.
These actions have not gone unnoticed by WNBA players, coaches, and fans. Sophie Cunningham, a player who had previously pleaded with fans to stop such behavior, was struck on the ankle by a sex toy thrown from the stands on April 22, 2024. Her frustration was echoed by others in the league. Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams didn’t mince words after an August 1, 2025, incident, stating, “It’s super disrespectful. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up.”
Coaches have also weighed in with strong condemnation. Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynee Roberts, responding to a similar event on August 5, 2025, remarked, “It’s ridiculous. It’s dumb. It’s stupid. It’s also dangerous.” Meanwhile, New York Liberty player Isabelle Harrison voiced her disappointment to the New York Post, saying, “I just hate that that’s being attached to our brand and our name. This is like, let’s be professional here. I get the jokes, and things can be funny, but it just gets to a point. So like, I’m just really over it, and I know other players are over it.”
The league’s leadership has been equally vocal. Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, spoke candidly on April 25, 2024, emphasizing that the acts represent the “sexualization of women” in sports and calling for accountability. “This kind of conduct shows how regularly women in sports face prejudice,” Reeve asserted, demanding that those responsible be punished.
Law enforcement has responded, with two arrests made in connection to the incidents. Kaden Lopez, an 18-year-old from Arizona, was taken into custody after the April 20, 2024, game between the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun, facing charges of disorderly conduct and public exposure of explicit content. Another individual, Delbert Carver, has also been arrested, as the authorities and the WNBA continue efforts to stamp out the disruptive behavior. Despite these actions, the problem persists, leaving many to wonder when, or if, the league will be able to restore order and respect on the court.
The controversy took a new turn on August 7, 2025, when Riley Gaines, a prominent advocate for women’s sports and host of the OutKick podcast, injected a political twist into the conversation. Gaines, referencing recent claims by Donald Trump’s team that no illegal immigrants had crossed the U.S. border in the last three months, joked that if Trump could solve illegal immigration, perhaps he could also put an end to the sex toy attacks on WNBA courts. “More sex toys have been thrown on WNBA courts than illegal immigrants have crossed the border in the last three months,” Gaines quipped on social media, a comment that quickly gained traction online.
Not to be outdone, Donald Trump Jr. entered the fray with a meme posted to his Instagram account. The image, which rapidly went viral, depicted President Trump standing on the roof of the White House, gleefully tossing a green dildo onto a WNBA court. The portico in the image was inscribed with the name Grand Old Memes, a meme company known for its conservative commentary. Trump Jr. captioned the post, “Posted without further comment,” punctuated with laughing emojis, and the meme was widely circulated and discussed across social media platforms.
Reactions to the meme were sharply divided. Some users found it hilarious, praising Trump Jr.’s sense of humor, while others called it “disrespectful and immature.” One critic wrote, “I’m Don Trump Sr for life but this kind of stuff is classless and it screams ‘my daddy is the president and I don’t know how to act.’” Another user questioned the humor, asking, “I know it’s a supposed joke but the President throwing a green d*ldo at young female basketball players is funny how?” The debate around the meme mirrored the larger conversation about the incidents themselves—whether they are harmless pranks or symptomatic of deeper issues of sexism and disrespect toward women in sports.
Media outlets have not shied away from weighing in. Publications like Glamour and Cosmopolitan have condemned the acts as blatant misogyny. Glamour opined, “The message behind a sex toy in particular is pretty unambiguous. The intent is to sexualize and demean the women players because they are women. And that is nothing new at all.” Cosmopolitan went further, urging NBA players to stand in solidarity with their WNBA counterparts, declaring, “It’s time for NBA players to stand in solidarity with their female counterparts and call this behavior what it is: unacceptable, sexist, and detrimental to the entire sport.”
For the WNBA, the ongoing incidents are more than just a nuisance—they represent a persistent challenge to the dignity and professionalism of women’s sports. The league has doubled down on efforts to identify and punish perpetrators, but the persistence of the pranks and the viral attention they attract complicate the path forward. Players, coaches, and advocates continue to call for respect and action, hoping that the focus can soon return to the game itself rather than the distractions from the stands.
As the WNBA season presses on, all eyes remain on the league’s response and the broader cultural reckoning these incidents have ignited. While the pranks are ongoing and the problem isn’t yet solved, the outcry from within and beyond the league signals a growing determination to defend the integrity of women’s sports—no matter how many obstacles, or green dildos, come flying their way.
