In the last week, there have been three separate incidents in which sex toys have been thrown at WNBA games.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is facing an ongoing issue and it not a usual athletic occupational hazard.
Rather than dealing with injured players, scheduling issues and rowdy fans, the WNBA has had to counter people throwing sex toys onto courts, thereby disrupting games and putting players at risk of injury.
In the last week, there have been three separate incidents in which sex toys have been thrown at separate WNBA games and players are speaking out against the trend.
The WNBA has vowed to ban anyone who throws toys onto the court for at least a year, and has warned that they will also be subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.
Newsweek contacted the WNBA by website form to comment on this story.Why It Matters
The incidents raise serious concerns about player safety and security as well as the extent to which women’s basketball is being taken seriously.What To Know
The spate of sex toy incidents started on July 29, when a neon green toy was thrown in the fourth quarter of a match between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. The WNBA said the fan responsible was arrested, ejected from the arena, and will face a minimum one-year ban.
The man alleged to have thrown it was 23-year-old Delbert Carver, who was released from Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro on Sunday, according to multiple media reports, which said he is being charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass.
According to the Daily Mail, citing an incident report provided by the College Park Police Department, Carver said: «This was supposed to be a joke and this joke was supposed to go viral.»
Three days later, a second incident took place during the Valkyries’ matchup against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
