WNBA player Sophie Cunningham is demanding greater respect from the fans of the sport and its players following a bizarre and increasingly common practice of launching sex toys onto the field during competition.
Cunningham, the guard/forward with the Indiana Fever, posted to social media on August 1 after the latest such incident disrupted a game between the Golden State Valkyries and Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena.
“Stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us,” Cunningham tweeted, following the third-quarter interruption caused by a lime-green dildo being tossed onto the court.
This becomes the second incident in just a week, a troubling escalation that has sparked concern and confusion among players, commentators, and viewers alike.
Dildos and Disruptions: A Growing NSFW Trend
The Wintrust Arena crowd was stunned during the third quarter of the Valkyries-Sky game with the score sitting at 37–39 in Chicago’s favor when a neon green dildo flew onto the hardwood, prompting an abrupt timeout.
The sex toy was eventually taken away by arena staff; it was an uncomfortable reminder of what transpired three days earlier during a July 29 contest pitting the Atlanta Dream against the Valkyries.
In that match, which was tied at 75-75 in its final minute, announcer Morgan Ragan was on the call when she saw something odd out of the corner of her eye.
“Something flies on the court actually from the crowd,” Ragan narrated. “And you can see the object.”
Ragan and her announcer partner at first couldn’t determine what this mysterious object was, only that it was “green” and heading directly for them. But as cameras rolled in, the shocking truth unfolded.
“Oh my gosh. OK. OK. Inappropriate,” Ragan gasped. “Get them out of here, whoever it is.”
Security and police were heard laughing briefly before one officer removed the dildo using a towel. Play resumed after the brief pause with the Valkyries winning, 77–75.
