A sex toy that was hurled from the stands during Tuesday night's Fever game against the Sparks in Los Angeles ended uncomfortably close to Sophie Cunningham of Indiana.
Cunningham, who had been outspoken on social media about fans hurling the toys on the court, was close to the lane when the incident in Los Angeles happened, with 2:05 remaining in the second quarter.
Kelsey Plum kicked it into the stands after the Fever forward leaped back in shock.
Sophie Cunningham denounces sex toy incident
Earlier this week, Cunningham, 28, had previously urged fans to refrain from throwing such items.
“This did NOT age well,” she wrote on X while replying to her previous post and urging her fans to refrain from flinging sex objects onto the court
“No way that thing actually hit me,” she wrote in a message shared on her Instagram Stories. “I knew I shouldn’t have tweeted that.”
The Tuesday game was momentarily stopped after the incident.
‘I think it’s really stupid,’ says Lynne Roberts
{{/usCountry}}The Tuesday game was momentarily stopped after the incident.
‘I think it’s really stupid,’ says Lynne Roberts
{{/usCountry}}After Sparks coach Kelsey Plum removed it from the court, fans in the arena were heard jeering and pointing at the person they believed to have tossed the toy, CNN reported.
Following Sparks win against the other team 100-91, coach Lynne Roberts reacted to the incident, saying: “I think it's ridiculous, it's dumb, it's stupid.”
“It’s also dangerous and players’ safety is No. 1. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it’s really stupid.”
Two similar incidents have occurred in the league in the past seven days.
Similar incidents in past
At Chicago's Wintrust Arena, a sex toy was hurled from the stands during Friday's Golden State Valkyries' 73-66 victory over the Chicago Sky.
The WNBA announced earlier this week that any fan found to be involved in such activity would be banned from the league and face legal action.
“Our league's top priority is everyone's safety and well-being in our arenas,” a WNBA spokeswoman told CNN Sports.
They highlighted that any object thrown onto the court or into the bleachers could endanger the safety of players, referees, and spectators.
According to WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who willfully throws an object onto the floor will be removed right away, banned for at least a year, and may be arrested and prosecuted by local authorities, the statement noted.