A WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream was halted when a sex toy was thrown onto the court during a free throw attempt by Sparks forward Jihyun Park.
The game was stopped as officials and security addressed the situation. Play-by-play announcer Mike Watts noted that security responded quickly, and it is assumed the perpetrator was removed from the venue.
This incident is reminiscent of a spate of similar events last season where sex toys were thrown onto the court during WNBA games. At the time, it was speculated that these disruptions were connected to the promotion of a meme cryptocurrency, though it remains unclear if this latest incident carries a similar association.
Last season, some of these disruptions directly impacted players. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was among those hit by a thrown object. These events led to stadium bans and arrests of individuals responsible.
In August 2025, Charles Burgess, a 32-year-old man from Ohio, was arrested for throwing a sex toy during a New York Liberty game, which struck a 12-year-old girl. Another arrest occurred earlier that month when 18-year-old Kaden Lopez was taken into custody for disorderly conduct, assault, and public display of explicit sexual material after throwing a sex toy onto the court during a game between the Connecticut Sun and the Phoenix Mercury. Delbert Carver, 23, was arrested for throwing sex toys on the floor at two separate WNBA games.
Players and coaches expressed their dismay and anger over the incidents last season. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve commented on the broader issue of the sexualization of women. "I just want to comment on... this has been going on for centuries. The sexualization of women, this is the latest version of that. It's not funny," Reeve stated. She emphasized that such actions should not be trivialized and that those responsible should be held accountable, asserting, "We're not the butt of the joke. They're the problem, and we need to take action."