We tried to ignore it. The first time it happened. And the second time. A WNBA story about sex toys being thrown onto the court is not something that I personally want to write about. Even as I type these words there’s an uneasiness that resides because despite the people who criticize the league, there are those, such as myself, who have enjoyed it and respected it since its inception. With the new fanbase that has entered the fray due to the popularity of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, among others, I find myself watching games more than ever and even have WNBA League Pass.
WNBA players have long complained about the hateful and derogatory messages they receive on social media. The league has gone as far as to institute AI to help identify the culprits and bring them to justice. That same negative attention is part of the reason why popularity has exploded and the players are talking tough in Collective Bargaining negotiations with an eye on the $2B media rights deal they received off the NBA’s $76B deal.
Fans Are Throwing Objects On The Court and Cheryl Reeves If Fed Up
When the action moves off the computer and into the arenas, that’s when there’s a real problem. The WNBA said Saturday that the individual who threw a sex toy onto the court at an Atlanta Dream game earlier in the week was arrested and that any person throwing objects onto the court will be ejected from the arena and face a minimum one-year ban. On Friday, another sex toy was thrown under a basket in Chicago during the third quarter of the Valkyries’ 73-66 victory over the Sky.
Everyone probably interpreted it the same way. As a sick joke played by hateful men on women basketball players. Then on Thursday night, it happened again at the Minnesota Lynx game and head coach Cheryl Reeve said in her postgame presser that enough is enough with the sexualization of WNBA players.
“Obviously you guys know what the object is. I just want to comment on…this has been going on for centuries, the sexualization of women. This is the latest version of that and it’s not fun. It should not be the butt of jokes in any radio shows in print or any comments. The sexualization of women is what’s used to hold women down and this is no different. The people who are doing this should be held accountable. We are not the butt of the joke. They are the problem.”
Yes, the WNBA players have been subject to internal and external squabbles and outside forces that have tried to create divisive narratives and use the league and its players as a platform to gain engagement. It’s very disingenuous and it shows the lack of respect that people have for the league and its players at times.
Crypto Meme Coin Creators Take Responsibility For Dildo Throws
But after further inquiry it seems like this isn’t about sexualizing WNBA players at all. However, another instance where an entity is dragging the WNBA and its growing fan base into a mess it didn’t create and doesn’t deserve to be a part of. At the same time, it is an indication of how rapidly the WNBA platform is growing and how far-reaching it’s become.
According to report, cryptocurrency meme coin creators have taken responsibility for the toys being thrown at multiple WNBA games, and they are planning more “pranks.”
Allegedly, a group of crypto enthusiasts and traders launched Green Dildo Coin (DILDO), a meme coin intended to be taken as a light-hearted joke. It launched in July to protest what the group described as a “toxic” environment in the crypto world. The group’s spokesman, who spoke with USA TODAY Sports, says many smaller players in the space are struggling to keep up with the influx of influencers and scammers.
“We didn’t do this because like we dislike women’s sports or, like, some of the narratives that are trending right now are ridiculous,” he said. “Creating disruption at games is like, it happens in every single sport, right? We’ve seen it in the NFL, we’ve seen it in hockey, you know . . . fans doing random things to more or less create attention.”
So Is It Sexualization Or Politicization?
If this was true, it would really take some of the gas out of Reeves’ rant. However, of the two arrests made realted to these incidents, a crypto spokesman said those people were not associated with the group. Delbert Carver, 23, was arrested after throwing an object at a July 29 WNBA game in Atlanta and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass.
Carver told police, “This was supposed to be a joke, and this joke (was) supposed to go viral,” according to the arrest affidavit. Kaden Lopez is an 18-year-old arrested this week after throwing an object that struck a fan attending the game with his 9-year-old niece in the crowd at a Phoenix Mercury game on Aug. 5. He called it a “stupid prank that was trending on social media.”
So, there’s a lot of things going on here at once. As of Aug. 7, there have been reports of a sex toy thrown in as many as six games since the initial incident occurred on July 29. Maybe the first few were the works of the crypto currency group. Then younger folks who were arrested claim to have done it as a viral joke. We can’t act like we don’t know what kind of hold social media has on the younger generation. These kids will do anything to get engagement, same as the adults.
As far as Reeves’ claims of sexualization, tell that to Sophie Cunningham, Angel Reese and every other woman player getting paid off being sexy AND a good baller. They sell sexy every chance they get. However, tossing objects on the court during games is not only dangerous but it’s highly offensive and demoralizing. When it is framed as uncomfortable protest that changes the perception a bit. The fact that it is happening, during WNBA season and courts where women play games, creates a distortion of the message. The social media aspect of gaining attention is out of control. Sometimes it’s not personal. Clout-chasing never is. Just a sign of the times.
