Latest news with #WNBAArenaSecurityStandards
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Crypto group claims it's behind the sex toys being thrown at WNBA players
A group of cryptocurrency traders is claiming to be behind the sex toy epidemic that has disrupted several WNBA games of late. An anonymous spokesman for the group, who reportedly goes by @Daldo_Raine on social media, told USA Today that some crypto creators who launched a meme coin called Green Dildo Coin (DILDO) are plotting more depraved 'pranks' like the ones that have overshadowed WNBA games. At least five contests over the last week-plus have seen incidents with green dildos being thrown, some of them landing on the court during play. One person attempted to throw one during Tuesday's Liberty game at Barclays Center, but it didn't make it out of the stands. 3 What appeared to be a sex toy was thrown on the court at the Fever-Sparks game. Delbert Carver, 23, was reportedly arrested for throwing a green dildo onto the court during the Valkyries-Dream game in Atlanta on July 29 and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. Kaden Lopez, 18, was reportedly arrested for allegedly throwing a sex toy toward a fan who was at Tuesday's Mercury-Sun game with his 9-year-old niece. Lopez was booked on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material. The craze has gotten so out of hand that the WNBA was forced to release a statement on the issue last weekend. 'The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,' the league said in a recent statement. 'Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. 'In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.' Fever star Sophia Cunningham took to X last week, imploring the pranksters to 'Stop throwing dildos on the court … you're going to hurt one of us.' 3 What appeared to be a sex toy appeared on the court during a WNBA game on Friday night. A dildo was then thrown at Cunningham and nicked her ankle during Tuesday's Fever-Sparks game in Los Angeles. After the latest incident on Tuesday, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts expressed her frustrations with the ridiculous situation. 'It's ridiculous, it's dumb,' Roberts said. 'It's stupid. It's also dangerous and player safety is No. 1. Respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid.' Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve sees the odd development as yet another chapter in the long history of 'the sexualization of women.' 'This has been going on for centuries — the sexualization of women,' Reeve said. 'This is the latest version of that. And it is not funny, and it should not be the butt of jokes on any radio show, or in print, or in any comments. 3 The Dream-Valkyries game was interrupted by a NSFW moment in the fourth quarter, when an unspecified object — said to be a lime green colored dildo — was thrown on the court Tuesday night. KPIX/X 'The sexualization of women is what is used to hold women down. And this is no different. … These people that are doing this should be held accountable. We're not the butt of the joke. They are the problem and we need to take action.' Liberty player Isabelle Harrison told The Post's Madeline Kenney that players shouldn't have to deal with a safety issue like this. 'I think you just have to continuously prioritize the players, because it's obviously safety, but also just so immature to me, like, I just hate that that's being attached to our brand and our name,' Harrison said. 'This is like, let's be professional here. I get the jokes, and things can be funny, but it just gets to a point. 'I don't take this lightly,' she added. 'What my job is, it's not a joke. I know a lot of other players feel like that, too. So we just need to take it more serious.' Ridiculously, the crypto group claims it hasn't been throwing dildos because 'we dislike women's sports.' The group also says the two people arrested weren't affiliated with them.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Timeline of sex toys being thrown onto WNBA courts
Over the past two weeks there have been three incidents during which a sex toy has been thrown on a WNBA court during live game action. The latest incident happened Tuesday night in a game between the Indiana Fever and the Los Angeles Sparks at Arena in L.A. "It's ridiculous, it's dumb, it's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game. "It's also dangerous. Player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." Roberts' reaction is starting to become the norm, especially if the trend continues. Here is a timeline of events: July 29: Valkyries at Dream The first incident occurred on July 29 during the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Dream's game against the Golden State Valkyries at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. A 23-year-old man, Delbert Carver, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. Aug. 1: Valkyries at Sky During the Valkyries' game against the Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Aug. 1, another sex toy was thrown onto the court. Officials stopped play when the toy was heaved from the stands and landed by a baseline near the Sky's basket. An official kicked the toy away, and a Sky staffer quickly removed it. Aug. 5: Fever at Sparks With two minutes remaining in the second quarter of Tuesday's game, a sex toy landed on the court in the lane near Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, who earlier in the week went on social media to plead with fans not to throw things on the floor and posted another reaction after the game. Sparks guard Kelsey Plum kicking it into the stands. WNBA response to sex toys being thrown during games Each WNBA team has policies and security procedures about what spectators can and cannot bring into a specific arena. The league strongly encourages fans not to bring bags into venues, and every bag that is allowed within certain specifications is subject to search. The arenas also have an extensive list of what is allowed in arenas, with the obvious items such as weapons, fireworks, hazardous items, and tools being prohibited. The WNBA has issued warnings against any fan throwing objects on the court, saying violators would be "immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban," and could face charges from authorities. "The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league," the WNBA said in a statement. "Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities."
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Sex toy tossed on WNBA court, lands near Fever's Sophie Cunningham
With two minutes remaining in the second quarter, the sex toy landed on the court in the lane near Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, who earlier in the week went on social media to plead with fans not to throw things on the floor and posted another reaction after the game. Sparks guard Kelsey Plum took it upon herself to get rid of it by kicking it into the stands. "I think its ridiculous, it's dumb, it's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game. "It's also dangerous and players' safety is No. 1. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it's really stupid." It's the third such incident in the past two weeks where a neon green sex toy was thrown on the court of a WNBA game. The first one occurred last week in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Dream's game against Golden State in College Park, Georgia. A 23-year-old man, Delbert Carver, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass. Last Friday, during the Valkyries game against the Sky in Chicago, a sex toy was thrown on the court. It was kicked aside and removed from the court. The WNBA had issued warnings against any fan throwing objects on the court, saying violators would be "immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban," and could face charges from authorities. "The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league," the WNBA said in a statement. "Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities."
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Man charged with multiple offences after object thrown onto court during WNBA game
A man arrested after a sex toy was thrown onto the court during a Golden State Valkyries game against the Atlanta Dream has been charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency and criminal trespass. According to the police affidavit, Delbert Carver, aged 23, was taken into custody by College Park, Georgia police on Saturday at 7:42 p.m. and booked into Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro. He was released late Sunday after posting bond, which remains undisclosed. Court records show the case is currently listed as 'pending.' Carver allegedly told officers that he intended the act as a joke, hoping it would go viral. The WNBA declined to comment on the incident but released a statement emphasising safety in arenas. The league stated that any fan who throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected, banned for at least one year in compliance with WNBA Arena Security Standards, and subject to legal action by local authorities. The incident follows a similar disruption during a Chicago Sky game, when another sex toy was thrown onto the court in the third quarter. However, Chicago police confirmed no official report was filed in that case. Delbert Carver now faces significant legal repercussions related to the incident as the case moves toward resolution in Clayton County courts.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Sex toys are being thrown on WNBA courts. Timeline of 'ridiculous' events
With a month left in the season, the WNBA is getting increased visibility, but it's not because of the tight playoff races or three of the league's stars being injured. The sports world is talking about objects being thrown on the court, specifically green neon sex toys. Over the past two weeks there have been three incidents during which a sex toy has been thrown on a WNBA court during live game action. The latest incident happened Tuesday night in a game between the Indiana Fever and the Los Angeles Sparks at Arena in L.A. "It's ridiculous, it's dumb, it's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game. "It's also dangerous. Player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." Roberts' reaction is starting to become the norm, especially if the trend continues. Here is a timeline of events: July 29: Valkyries at Dream The first incident occurred on July 29 during the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Dream's game against the Golden State Valkyries at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. A 23-year-old man, Delbert Carver, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. Aug. 1: Valkyries at Sky During the Valkyries' game against the Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Aug. 1, another sex toy was thrown onto the court. Officials stopped play when the toy was heaved from the stands and landed by a baseline near the Sky's basket. An official kicked the toy away, and a Sky staffer quickly removed it. Aug. 5: Fever at Sparks With two minutes remaining in the second quarter of Tuesday's game, a sex toy landed on the court in the lane near Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, who earlier in the week went on social media to plead with fans not to throw things on the floor and posted another reaction after the game. Sparks guard Kelsey Plum kicking it into the stands. WNBA response to sex toys being thrown during games Each WNBA team has policies and security procedures about what spectators can and cannot bring into a specific arena. The league strongly encourages fans not to bring bags into venues, and every bag that is allowed within certain specifications is subject to search. The arenas also have an extensive list of what is allowed in arenas, with the obvious items such as weapons, fireworks, hazardous items, and tools being prohibited. The WNBA has issued warnings against any fan throwing objects on the court, saying violators would be "immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban," and could face charges from authorities. "The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league," the WNBA said in a statement. "Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities."
