Sophie Cunningham targeted by toy during Sparks-Fever game despite plea to fans

Another troubling incident marred Tuesday night’s WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Los Angeles Sparks, when a sex toy was thrown from the stands and landed near Fever forward Sophie Cunningham with just over two minutes left in the second quarter. The object landed just close to Cunningham, who has already spoken out on social media against fans throwing such items onto the court.

Kelsey Plum, who was also on the floor, kicked the toy out of bounds, and Cunningham was later seen laughing as she approached the Sparks bench.



This marks the third such incident in just over a week. The first occurred in Atlanta during the final moments of the Dream’s game against Golden State in College Park, Georgia. A fan was arrested, ejected, and issued at least a one-year ban from WNBA events.


The second incident happened in Chicago on Friday, during the third quarter of Golden State’s 73-66 win over the Sky. A sex toy was thrown under a basket following a stoppage in play. An official kicked the item aside before it was picked up and removed.

The series of events has raised concerns about fan behavior and player safety, with growing calls for increased security and stricter enforcement of arena conduct policies.

Reacting to the earlier incidents, WNBA has already assured that safety of everyone in the arenas is our top priority.

"The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league. Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans," the league said in a statement.

"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."