Since late July 2025, a bizarre and deeply troubling trend has taken hold of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA): the repeated throwing of neon green sex toys—specifically dubbed “green dildos”—onto the courts during live games. What began as a disruptive prank has quickly spiraled into a national controversy, drawing condemnation from league officials, players, coaches, and social commentators alike.
The first widely reported incident occurred on July 28, 2025, and coincided with the launch of a cryptocurrency meme known as “Green Dildo Coin.” According to several sources, this coin was created by a group of online crypto enthusiasts as a protest against what they described as a “toxic” crypto environment. The group’s members, self-identified as “crypto bros,” saw the act of tossing green sex toys onto WNBA courts as both a publicity stunt for their meme coin and a statement against perceived injustices in the digital currency world.
Since that initial event, at least six separate disruptions have been documented across the league, affecting games in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Teams like the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Golden State Valkyries, and Indiana Fever have all experienced interruptions, with players forced to dodge rubber projectiles mid-game. Notably, Sophie Cunningham, a prominent WNBA athlete, narrowly avoided being struck and later took to social media to plead with fans to stop the dangerous behavior.
"The sexualization of women is what’s used to hold women down, and this is no different. These people that are doing this should be held accountable. We’re not the butt of the joke, they’re the problem," said Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, denouncing the trend in no uncertain terms. Her words echoed throughout the league, as officials and players united in their condemnation of the acts, labeling them both misogynistic and hazardous.
The league’s response has been swift and decisive. WNBA officials have threatened stadium bans and even arrests for anyone caught participating in these stunts. Law enforcement agencies have already made at least a couple of arrests and are actively investigating the perpetrators behind the incidents. The message from the league is clear: harassment and endangerment of athletes will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Yet, the issue has only grown more complex and politicized. On August 7, 2025, Donald Trump Jr. posted an AI-generated meme on Instagram, showing his father—current U.S. President Donald Trump—standing on the White House roof and tossing a neon green dildo onto a WNBA court. The meme referenced the ongoing disruptions and quickly went viral, amassing over 107,000 likes by the following day. For many, this act by a high-profile political figure’s son trivialized the seriousness of the situation, while for others, it served as a rallying cry for meme culture and online protest.
Commentators and fans were quick to react. Some criticized the meme for further politicizing an already sensitive issue, while others saw it as emblematic of the dangerous intersection between viral internet culture, cryptocurrency hype, and the normalization of misogynistic pranks in professional women’s sports. Riley Gaines, a public figure, even joked about President Trump’s supposed ability to “end such attacks,” fueling further debate about the role of political rhetoric in shaping attitudes toward women in sports.
Opinion columns and social media threads have since erupted with discussion. One particularly revealing perspective came from a self-identified “crypto bro” who wrote a satirical opinion piece about his involvement in the incidents. He described himself as someone who spends his days investing in cryptocurrency and his nights throwing sex toys onto WNBA courts. In his own words, “I’m a dude who spends his days investing in cryptocurrency and his nights throwing sex toys onto the court at WNBA games, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why I’m so lonely.”
He went on to explain that the act of tossing green dildos was intended to draw attention to Green Dildo Coin, and that the group found it hilarious—even if stadium officials, players, and most fans did not. The author dismissed personal responsibility for the disruptions, instead blaming his loneliness on women who “don’t understand meme coins” and refuse to date him. He even referenced Donald Trump Jr.’s meme as a form of validation, writing, “How can anyone call it ‘not funny’ or ‘dangerous’ or ‘sexist’ if the president’s son thinks it’s hilarious and is normalizing sex-toy tossing at women’s sporting events?”
But the tone of the broader conversation has been far from amused. The recurring disruptions have opened what many describe as “old wounds” in women’s sports—resurfacing longstanding issues of disrespect, sexualization, and the struggle for legitimacy faced by female athletes. The incidents have been widely condemned as emblematic of a wider societal problem: the normalization of misogyny and the trivialization of women’s experiences through viral memes and prank culture.
According to WNBA officials, the league is now working closely with law enforcement and venue security to implement more robust safeguards at games. Stadium bans and legal consequences are on the table for anyone caught attempting to disrupt matches. Players, coaches, and advocates are also calling for a deeper cultural reckoning, urging fans, media, and public figures to consider the impact of their words and actions on the safety and dignity of athletes.
Despite the outcry, the trend has proven difficult to stamp out. The persistence of the prank, combined with its amplification by internet meme culture and high-profile political figures, has forced the WNBA and its supporters to confront not only the immediate safety risks but also the underlying cultural attitudes that fuel such behavior. As one columnist put it, “This phenomenon has also opened ‘old wounds’ for women’s sports, exposing longstanding prejudices. Robust safeguards are necessary to protect athletes from harassment.”
As the league enters the latter half of the 2025 season, the focus remains on both protecting its players and challenging the normalization of disrespect in professional women’s sports. The coming weeks will test whether the WNBA and its allies can stem the tide of disruptive pranks and foster a safer, more respectful environment for athletes—and whether the broader sports community is willing to confront the uncomfortable truths these incidents have laid bare.
