Sex toy tossed on Sparks’ court, lands near player

A sex toy landed near Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham after it was thrown from the stands in Los Angeles while the Fever played the Sparks on Tuesday night, the latest such incident to interrupt a WNBA game in the past seven days.

The incident at Crypto.com Arena occurred with 2:05 left in the second quarter with the green object landing in the lane near Cunningham, who had been vocal on social media about fans throwing the toys onto the court. The Fever forward jumped back in surprise and then Kelsey Plum kicked the object into the stands.

“I think its ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after her team’s 100-91 win. “It’s also dangerous and players’ safety is No. 1. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it’s really stupid.”

Plum added that she thought both teams did a great job “playing on, don’t give it any attention. The refs too, I really appreciate them too, was just like, ‘Hey let’s go.'”

Cunningham walked over to the Sparks bench and was laughing about it.

“We don’t know who those people are … we come to play the game and people want to see us play,” Fever coach Stephanie White said when asked about the disruption. “I think it’s just that simple, and we can’t control everybody’s actions.”

According to social media posts, green toys were also thrown in Phoenix and New York on Tuesday night but didn’t reach the court. The one at Barclays Center landed near a child.

A week ago, the first incident occurred in Atlanta late in the fourth quarter of the Dream‘s game against Golden State in College Park, Georgia. The man alleged to have been responsible for the incident, Delbert Carver, was arrested Saturday, according to police in College Park. He faces counts of disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass, according to law enforcement records.

On Friday, a sex toy was thrown in Chicago under a basket after a whistle was blown to stop play during the third quarter of Golden State’s 73-66 victory over the Sky. An official kicked the object aside before it was picked up and removed.

It is unknown whether the fan who threw the object at the Sky game was arrested.

“The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league. Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans,” the league said in a statement. “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 Associated Press contributed to this report.