Cryptocurrency Memes Disrupt WNBA Games: Sex Toys Thrown at Multiple Matches Amidst Calls for Accountability

In a troubling turn of events, a sex toy was hurled onto the court during the closing seconds of the Atlanta Dream’s 86-65 victory over the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena on Thursday. This marks the fourth such incident in recent times.

With just under six seconds left on the clock, play was halted as a purple object was tossed from the stands. According to Front Office Sports reporter Colin Salao, another sex toy was also thrown during the same game but failed to reach the playing area, landing behind the Dream’s bench.

Security personnel questioned two individuals following the incident, but they were released due to lack of evidence linking them to the act.

Both the WNBA, the Chicago Sky, and the Atlanta Dream have been reached out to for comment on the matter.

This is not the first time a game involving the Chicago Sky has been disrupted in such a manner. Last week, a sex toy was thrown during their match against the Golden State Valkyries, landing just out of bounds near one of the baskets.

Earlier in the day, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve expressed her concern over the growing number of these incidents, describing them as a “distraction.”

“This has been going on for centuries,” Reeve stated to reporters. “The sexualization of women. This is the latest version of that. And it’s not funny; it should not be the subject of jokes or comments. The sexualization of women is used to keep women down, and this is no different.”

Thursday’s incident comes two days after a green toy was thrown in the direction of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during their game against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Crypto.com Arena. Cunningham had earlier pleaded with spectators to stop throwing such objects on social media, but she appeared to be hit by the toy during Tuesday’s game.

“This did NOT age well,” she wrote on Twitter after the game, responding to her own previous post urging fans to cease this behavior. She also posted a message on her Instagram Stories, stating, “No way that thing actually hit me. I knew I shouldn’t have tweeted that.”

The Valkyries and Dream were previously involved in an incident at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia last week. The individual responsible for the Atlanta incident was identified, arrested, and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass, according to Reuters. A court date has yet to be set.

Social media posts seen by the Associated Press suggest that green toys were also previously thrown in Phoenix and New York, though they did not reach the court.

On Thursday, a group of cryptocurrency meme coin creators claimed responsibility for some of these incidents. In an interview with USA Today, a representative for the group stated that members had started throwing the green items to coincide with the launch of a new meme coin, whose name is a play on a type of sex toy.

The spokesperson told the outlet that the new coin was a protest against the current state of the crypto market, and they considered these stunts as means to generate attention for the coin, dismissing the notion that the incidents were disrespectful towards women’s athletes.

“We didn’t do this because we dislike women’s sports or some of the narratives that are trending now are ridiculous,” the spokesperson said. “Creating disruption at games is common in every sport; fans do random things to more or less create attention.”