For the second time in just four days, a WNBA game was forced to stop after a sex toy was thrown from the stands onto the court.
The bizarre moment unfolded midway through the third quarter of the Chicago Sky’s matchup with the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, August 1, at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.
Sky was leading 39-37 when a patron threw the explicit object onto the baseline under the Sky's basket, moments after Valkyries guard Kate Martin missed a deep 3-pointer.
Referee Blanca Burns immediately blew the whistle, bringing the game to a halt. Broadcast audio captured the moment, with the announcer stating, “Got a whistle away from the basketball.”
Burns kicked the object off the floor, and a Sky staffer later removed it with a towel.
Players and coaches appeared bemused, and Sky forward Kamilla Cardoso was seen laughing with teammates as the incident unfolded. But not everyone found it amusing.
“I think it’s super disrespectful. I don’t get it, I don’t really get the point of it,” Sky forward Elizabeth Williams said after the game, which the Valkyries ultimately won 73-66. “It’s really immature. Whoever is doing it just needs to grow up.”
This latest disruption followed a nearly identical incident just three days earlier, during the Valkyries’ home game against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, July 29.
In that case, a similar green sex toy was thrown onto the court during the final minute of play at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
That game was not stopped immediately, with players continuing the possession as the object bounced near the sideline.
Eventually, officials called a timeout, and a visibly amused security guard removed the toy using a towel. A police officer later came over to collect it, aided by a piece of cloth handed over by a fan.
Commentators and fans criticized the delay in response, with some calling for more proactive action from Gateway Center Arena security. “There’s no room for any of that type of activity,” one announcer said, per Daily Mail.
The PA system also issued a stern warning that any fans caught throwing objects would be ejected.
Following the second incident, WNBA stars responded online. Sky forward Angel Reese joked on X, writing: “hey @SydJColson, why do you keep throwing your mean green in different arenas…. it’s getting weird,” referencing Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson. Colson did not appear to be involved in either incident.
Meanwhile, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham penned bluntly: “Stop throwing d**dos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.”
The culprits behind both incidents have not been publicly identified, but according to the WNBA Fan Code of Conduct: “Guests who engage in fighting, throwing objects, or attempting to enter the court will be immediately ejected from the arena.”
Officials responded more swiftly during Friday’s incident, and no players were harmed. Still, the repeated disruptions have sparked growing concern around in-arena behavior and security protocols.