The WNBA has worked hard to earn to the same level of coverage and respect. However, there's been some gross behavior on behalf of "fans" attending the games. In just over a week, the league has now suffered its third sex toy throwing incident.
Not only is it disrespectful to the players, but it could lead to injuries. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been particularly vocal about the trend. She was one of the first to speak out after the first occurrence, which happened on July 29 in a game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries.
Sophie tweeted at the time, "Stop throwing dildos on the court… you're going to hurt one of us." Her outspokenness led to her being an assumed target of a flying sex toy last night, August 5. After Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum finished her free throws in the second quarter, the racy object was thrown in Cunningham's direction.
It didn't hit her, but it was certainly close. Plum then kicked it off the court, briefly stopping play. Sophie's teammate, Kelsey Mitchell sounded off on the act after the game, as caught by the Jasmine Brand. "We are the product. We like to think that we come to play the game and people want to see us play. I think it’s just that simple, man, we can’t control everybody’s actions. To the person or people who think, you know, it’s cool, that’s up to you, to the higher power, I don’t think you’re praying for it. But for us, we keep the main thing the main thing, I think it’s about the basketball for both teams.”
WNBA Sex Toy Incidents
"We don’t know who those people are. We are the product." She added, we like to think that we come to play the game and people want to see us play. I think it’s just that simple, man, we can’t control everybody’s actions. To the person or people who think, you know, it’s cool, that’s up to you, to the higher power, I don’t think you’re praying for it. But for us, we keep the main thing the main thing, I think it’s about the basketball for both teams."
Sophie addressed the matter last night and in general on her new podcast, Show Me Something. As caught by Complex, she admitted these incidences are "hilarious." She also thinks that if someone eventually gets hit by one of the toys, it will be humiliating.
"First of all, the bounce that thing had, if that smacked someone in the face, that's going to be plastered everywhere. I just know that if things go viral now... If that thing even came from the rafters or bounced and slapped me in the face, that would be what I would be known for, for life."
However, she is not happy. "Everyone's trying to like make sure like the W[NBA] is not a joke and it's taken seriously—and then that happens, I'm like, how are we ever going to get taken seriously?"
