Source: Elysia Su/ISI Photos / Getty
The exploding popularity of the WNBA has led to many positive outcomes, including a multibillion-dollar media rights deal, skyrocketing ticket sales, and heightened competition. However, it also brings with it trolls.
So, for the second time this week, a sex toy has been tossed on the court mid-play. And it’s lime green again.
It happened Friday night, Aug. 1, as the Golden State Valkyries played the Chicago Sky. With just under eight minutes left in the third quarter, the Sky were up 39-37 and were taking the ball up court when officials suddenly blew a whistle.
“Got a whistle away from the basketball,” the announcer says.
Everyone looked around until the cameraman zoomed in under the basket to see the sex toy lying just inches away from the baseline.
A referee runs over and kicks it further away from the court before a team staffer grabs it with a towel and gets rid of it.
This marks the second time this week it’s happened — with both oddly occurring at games where the Valkyries won— and players are sounding off.
“It’s super disrespectful,” the Sky’s Elizabeth Williams said postgame, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t really get the point of it. It’s really immature. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up.”
The players took to social media to complain about the situation, including Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, who wasn’t even playing, saying “stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.”
The New York Liberty‘s Isabelle Harrison echoed that outrage, asking for security to step it up.
“ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??! Please do better. It’s not funny. Never was funny,” she wrote. “Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous.”
Then there was Angel Reese, who team was playing when the sex toy was tossed on the court, and took a more lighthearted approach and ribbed fellow player Sydney Colson in the process when she wrote, “hey @SydJColson, why do you keep throwing your mean green in different arenas…. It’s getting weird.”
Given how tight security is at major sporting event venues, it’s a mystery how it was snuck in, but if it turns into a trend, the league will have a big issue on its hands with repeat offenders or copycats.
See the reaction to the incident below.