Security concerns rise after on-court sex toy incidents

A recent wave of on-court sex toy incidents exposes underlying power dynamics, security gaps, and questions about who benefits from attention.

Throwing sex toys on court at WNBA games is about power, not humor

Ten days after the first sex toy dropped onto the court during the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Golden State Valkyries, the stunt spread to at least six more games in major markets. What began as memes and social-media jokes quickly drew lines between sport, culture, and safety, with players and team staff insisting the actions disrupt play and threaten athletes.

Two arrests followed: Delbert Carver, 23, of Marietta, Ga., confessed to throwing a green sex toy at the Dream’s home game and to the earlier incident, while an 18-year-old, Kaden Lopez, was arrested in Phoenix. A cryptocurrency group claimed responsibility, saying the acts were about seizing attention and monetizing controversy through crypto markets. The group denies Carver’s alleged affiliation, but the impact remains clear: a sexualized disruption that carries risk for players and fans, and a security environment that must tighten quickly.

The incidents reveal how rising visibility for women’s sports can collide with a culture that treats disruption as currency. The objects on the court turn a moment of competition into a stage for gendered power, reminding us that the fight for pay and respect in the WNBA is also a fight against harassment. The crypto group’s justification shows how attention economies reward reckless behavior when it can be monetized.

Leagues may respond by hardening security and updating policies, but the case also tests public trust and sponsor confidence. Player voices, from Brittney Sykes to Isabelle Harrison, push for accountability while underscoring that respect for the game must come first. The larger question is whether a sports ecosystem can separate spectacle from safety and dignity, especially when headlines are weaponized for profit.

Highlights

How leagues balance attention, safety, and dignity will shape the future of women’s sports.