Why are WNBA ‘fans’ throwing green sex toys on the court? Explaining NSFW object’s increased presence at recent games
Three WNBA games were stopped after bright green sex toys were tossed onto the court in the past two weeks.
The first two took place during Valkyries’ road games, drawing condemnation around the league. Fever forward Sophie Cunningham expressed injury concerns over the gesture on social media.
stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) August 2, 2025
Meanwhile, Sky center Elizabeth Williams took umbrage with the “immature” act, labeling it as “super disrespectful.”
“Whoever is doing it just needs to grow up,” Williams said during a postgame press conference after Chicago fell to Golden State, 73-66 on Aug. 1. A green dildo was thrown onto the court partway through the third quarter of that game.
Here’s what you need to know about the unsavory tradition that has proven increasingly common in recent games.
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Why are WNBA ‘fans’ throwing green sex toys on courts?
It’s unclear why people are throwing dildos onto the floor at WNBA games. The first incident took place at the end of the Valkyries’ clash with the Dream in Atlanta on July 29. An unknown figure hurled a neon green dildo toward the basket with less than a minute left. Television cameras picked up the moment and its aftermath as a laughing security guard whisked the object away with a towel.
Move over Buffalo, someone threw a lime green dildo on the court during play in Atlanta pic.twitter.com/VXOjE790Bm
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 30, 2025
The incident in Atlanta came at a major inflection point in the clash. Golden State and Atlanta were locked into a one-point game at the time. The object nearly collected a Valkyries player in the carnage, said Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes postgame.
“Do you know what it was?”
That question from Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes & the funny facial reactions from Hayes & Cecilia Zandalasini, towards the green object (dildo) throw onto the court before Cecilia’s game winner over the Dream,says it all #WNBA
🎥 @sluggahjells pic.twitter.com/xGYsmAOdw9— The Whole Delivery (@TWDTV1) July 30, 2025
The WNBA announced that the fan was arrested in a statement posted on social media on Saturday evening. The league also announced it would dole out punishment for any fan found to intentionally throw objects on the floor.
“The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,” the WNBA said. “In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.”
The Aug. 1 occurrence in Chicago brought about more forceful denunciations. Referee Blanca Burns quickly stepped on the sex toy before a Sky staffer removed it.
The third time it happened was on Aug. 5, but this was the first incident that didn’t involve the Valkyries. The Fever were playing the Sparks in L.A. It hit the floor in the second quarter after Kelsey Plum hit a free throw, and she kicked it off the court.
A 3rd dildo has just dropped pic.twitter.com/EjZeXBJ3r9
— Jakenheimer (@jakenheimer5) August 6, 2025
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It’s unclear whether the three incidents are related. They took place in different cities, which could suggest the gesture is appealing to copycats.
The WNBA is perhaps the most LGBTQ+-friendly league in American sports. The motion could be seen as a joke, but as Williams said, it comes off as immature at best and cruel at worst. Not to mention the fact that the objects in question are small and slippery, meaning if a player were to land on it wrong, it could have disastrous effects on their health.
Athletes across the world have been pelted by objects. Never has it been a cool thing. The same is true in this situation. Perhaps people can begin to behave like adults and remember they’re at games to watch the world’s best shine beneath glimmering lights.
For some, that’s easier said than done.
