When the score was tied at 75 with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the game between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries suddenly came to a stop. During their Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) matchup on July 29, a sex object thrown from the stands landed near the free-throw line, halting play.
But it didn’t stop there.
The stunt was repeated not once, but twice, three days later. First during a Valkyries game against the Chicago Sky game at Wintrust Arena, and again during a Washington Mystics game against the Atlanta Dream. Four days later, a sex object was thrown onto the court during an Indiana Fever at Los Angeles Sparks game, landing near a player.
According to Reuters, the recent objects thrown onto WNBA courts have been linked to a cryptocurrency group promoting a meme-coin, which said that their goal was to combat the “toxic” environment in the cryptocurrency world. However, Reuters added that WNBA players and coaches have vastly criticized these actions due to safety concerns and the disrespect they bring to the league.
Why does this matter?
These stunts highlight the ongoing lack of respect that women athletes face at the professional level. WNBA players have long spoken out about unequal treatment, low pay, and less media coverage compared to men’s leagues. For instance, during warmups for the July 19 All-Star Game, players wore “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts, demanding a more equitable share of the league’s growing revenue, according to ESPN.
What makes the issue even worse is that these stunts happened repeatedly. Specifically, seven times from July 29 to August 7. Some were on the court, and others were in the stands, nearly hitting some people, including a child.
Players and coaches have spoken out about these issues on social media and during post-game press interviews. The following are a few of the statements they made:
According to Associated Press, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said on her “Show Me Something” podcast, “Everyone is trying to make sure the W is not a joke and it’s taken seriously, and then that happens. I’m like, ‘How are we ever going to get taken seriously?’”
On August 1, Isabelle Harrison, a forward for the New York Liberty, posted on X, “ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??! Please do better. It’s not funny. never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous.” Her X post gained 4.5 thousand likes and was reposted 485 times.
In response, the WNBA released a statement on August 4, saying, “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 truth is, these incidents aren’t new. According to USA Today, similar incidents have happened in men’s professional sports leagues, such as the NFL, Premier League, and professional hockey leagues.
Despite ongoing challenges, it’s important to note that women’s sports have made progress. New attendance records were set across several women’s professional sports leagues. For instance, on August 23, Bay Football Club (Bay FC) broke the record for the highest attended event in the history of U.S. women’s professional sports leagues, drawing 40,091 fans to Oracle Park to watch their match against the Washington Spirit. This was also a new attendance record for a single game at a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match.
Furthermore, for the first time in Olympic history, there was an equal number of male and female athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. For the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games, the number of female athletes is projected to be higher than the number of male athletes competing in the Games.
While women’s sports have made important strides, challenges remain. For decades, women athletes have faced doubt and discrimination, told they weren’t strong enough or capable like men. I believe the recent toy-throwing incidents in the WNBA are a wake-up call to the sports world about the ongoing lack of respect and attention women’s professional sports receive.
