WNBA Prank Scandal Threatens to Overshadow Historic Season
The WNBA is heading into the final stretch of a remarkable season. The Minnesota Lynx are chasing history, on pace to set a new record for most wins in a single season. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Aces star and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson became the first player in league history to post at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game.
The expansion Golden State Valkyries are also turning heads. Against all odds, they are fighting for a playoff berth in their inaugural season—something no other team has accomplished before.
On the court, the league has never looked stronger. But off the court, an ugly distraction is stealing headlines.
Toxic Pranks Disrupting Games
In recent weeks, multiple WNBA games have been interrupted by a disturbing trend: fans throwing brightly colored sex toys onto the court. What some perpetrators call “jokes” have endangered players, disrupted games, and even injured fans.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham issued a public plea for the behavior to stop on August 1. Days later, she was nearly struck by a sex toy during a road game against the Los Angeles Sparks. In New York, a 12-year-old girl was hit when an object thrown from the stands fell short of the court.
Authorities have made arrests in Phoenix and Atlanta, while the NYPD is still seeking suspects tied to another incident.
Clout-Chasing, Cash, and Crypto
According to ESPN, one 23-year-old suspect in Atlanta admitted the stunt was meant to “go viral.” But the story doesn’t stop there.
USA Today reported that creators of a neon-green-dildo-themed cryptocurrency meme coin claimed responsibility for at least some of the incidents. They insisted they weren’t targeting women’s sports specifically, but their marketing ploy weaponized misogyny for profit.
Misogyny in Women’s Sports
This controversy underscores a deeper problem: elite female athletes are far from immune to harassment. WNBA players compete in arenas meant to be safe spaces for women, nonbinary people, and families. Turning those venues into stages for sexual humiliation echoes the systemic abuse documented in other women’s sports.
The 2022 Sally Yates report exposed widespread abuse within U.S. Soccer, while gymnasts like Simone Biles and Aly Raisman testified against Larry Nassar after the FBI ignored their pleas for protection.
Right-Wing Mockery Adds Fuel
Instead of condemning the harassment, some right-wing figures have mocked it. Donald Trump Jr. shared a doctored image of his father throwing a sex toy from the White House onto a court of mostly Black WNBA players. Fox News regular Clay Travis went further, posting betting odds on where the next incident might occur.
Both men have styled themselves as defenders of “women’s sports” in the context of anti-trans rhetoric. Yet their indifference to real women athletes facing harassment speaks volumes.
Protecting the Game
As the WNBA barrels toward what could be a historic postseason, players and fans deserve better than to have their sport hijacked by childish, misogynistic stunts. The league’s athletes are breaking records, building rivalries, and bringing in new fans—and those should be the only headlines that matter.
