The people who have sex toys on WNBA courts during games this week are “not fans” of the league, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during a taping of Sportico Sports Business on Thursday. “They’re just doing this for either notoriety, or money, perhaps, from what we hear.”
After three incidents at games on Tuesday, Wednesday’s Valkyries-Aces contest transpired without interruption. Arena security personnel around the league have been instructed to pay extra attention to what fans bring into venues, but Engelbert said authorities are still unlikely to catch every would-be offender. Instead, the W is emphasizing the fact that throwing objects toward players is both dangerous and criminal. Men have been arrested in Atlanta and Phoenix; in the latter case, an 18-year-old was charged with disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material.
“These things are easy to hide,” Engelbert said. “Hopefully it just ends with the fact that, if you want a felony conviction on your record, go ahead and do it. But obviously it can be very dangerous to throw anything, let alone what they are throwing.”
The Phoenix offender apologized for his actions after reportedly hitting a 9-year-old fan, saying his act was a “stupid prank that was trending on social media.”
A representative for a collection of crypto memecoin traders claimed responsibility for the trend’s genesis in an interview with USA Today, claiming it was an attempt to get attention for their project, though they added that the two individuals taken into custody weren’t involved with the movement. Online conversations from the group indicate that associates departed the building soon after interrupting play. The group has discussed targeting other events—such as MLB games—though generally in less disruptive manners. The attention has corresponded with a more than 100% spike in value for the specific cryptocurrency they are hawking. USA Today did not report any form of apology from the group.
At the same time, offshore prediction market Polymarket, soon to relaunch in the U.S., has monetized and arguably encouraged the mayhem, with traders earning thousands of dollars by predicting disruption. And on Thursday, Donald Trump Jr. posted a computer-generated image of the president tossing a sex toy towards a group of women’s basketball players.
“The sexualization of women is what’s used to hold women down, and this is no different,” Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters Thursday.
To Engelbert, the series of misdeeds feels all too familiar.
“I’ve been a woman in business for almost 40 years … and unfortunately we get these kinds of acts and it’s totally unacceptable,” Engelbert said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me for whatever their little joy ride is.”
Earlier this season, the WNBA launched an anti-hate program designed to combat both toxic discourse online and unwanted in-arena behavior with a new task force, an updated fan code of conduct and support from the Women’s National Basketball Players Association.
As a brighter spotlight has shone on the WNBA since last summer, multiple players have spoken about social media abuse and hateful speech in arenas.
Engelbert complimented how players have handled the latest disruptions. “Obviously they’re used to this kind of vitriol,” she said.
“Some people probably think it’s funny,” Engelbert said, “but it’s not.”
Sportico Sports Business Presented by Genius Sports airs monthly on the YES Network and the Gotham Sports App.
