CHICAGO — What looked like one of the strangest fan disruptions in professional basketball last year has returned to the WNBA—and this time it happened on back-to-back nights.
The Chicago Sky’s home game against the Golden State Valkyries was temporarily interrupted Friday night after multiple sex toys were thrown toward the court at Wintrust Arena, reviving a bizarre and potentially dangerous trend that plagued the league during the 2025 season.
The disruption occurred during the third quarter of Chicago’s dramatic 73-70 victory over Golden State on August 21, 2026. At least three objects were reportedly thrown toward the playing area, with at least one landing on the court and forcing arena personnel to intervene before play could continue.
The timing made the incident even more troubling.
Just one night earlier, another apparent sex toy was thrown onto the floor during the Atlanta Dream’s 124-88 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.
That object landed near Sparks player Park Ji-hyun as she prepared to take a free throw with 2:59 remaining in the third quarter.
Atlanta star Angel Reese, standing near the scorer’s table, appeared to immediately point toward the section of the crowd where the object came from, drawing the attention of security personnel.
Sparks forward Cameron Brink then kicked the object away before arena staff removed it.
Suspect detained after Los Angeles incident
The Los Angeles incident went beyond a brief interruption.
Police said a male suspect was detained by arena security, cited and later released, according to the Associated Press report carried by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Additional reports indicated that the individual was apprehended after attempting to leave the area following the incident. Reports also said the offender was banned from attending future league-affiliated games.
The back-to-back disruptions immediately revived uncomfortable memories of the WNBA’s 2025 season, when similar objects were thrown during games in several cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.
What initially looked like isolated attempts at shock humor eventually became a league-wide security concern.
Natasha Cloud: Players aren’t laughing anymore
Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud strongly criticized the people responsible following Friday’s game.
Cloud, who led Chicago with 17 points in the win, described the behavior as immature and directed particularly harsh criticism toward the men responsible for the stunts.
Her reaction highlighted a growing frustration among WNBA players: what some spectators may view as an internet joke can quickly become a physical safety issue once an object enters a live basketball court.
And players have been warning about exactly that for more than a year.
During the 2025 wave of incidents, players repeatedly stressed that objects thrown from the stands could strike athletes, officials or spectators—or cause a player to slip or change direction unexpectedly during live play.
Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham previously warned fans to stop throwing the objects because somebody could eventually be hurt.
The WNBA already has a punishment policy
The league adopted a firm position after similar incidents last season.
Under WNBA arena security standards cited by the league in 2025, a fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court can be immediately ejected and banned for at least one year, while also potentially facing arrest and prosecution.
The WNBA later said it was working with law-enforcement agencies to pursue appropriate criminal charges—including felony charges where applicable—against people participating in or sponsoring such conduct.
That means what looks like a viral prank from the stands can carry consequences well beyond being removed from an arena.
Last year’s incidents resulted in arrests
At least some of the 2025 incidents resulted in criminal cases.
One man accused of throwing a sex toy during an Atlanta Dream-Golden State Valkyries game was arrested and faced charges including disorderly conduct, public indecency and criminal trespass.
According to police records reported by ESPN, the suspect allegedly described the stunt as a joke intended to become viral online.
A cryptocurrency-related group also claimed responsibility for some of the 2025 disruptions, although reports at the time noted that individuals arrested in certain incidents were not necessarily connected to that group.
That distinction matters: there is currently no verified evidence establishing that the Chicago and Los Angeles incidents this week were organized by the same people behind the 2025 campaign.
What is clear is that the behavior has resurfaced.
Chicago still pulled off a dramatic win
Lost amid Friday night’s bizarre interruption was a surprisingly dramatic finish.
The Sky recovered after surrendering a 21-point advantage and defeated Golden State 73-70 when Sydney Taylor buried a pull-up three-pointer with just 1.6 seconds remaining.
The victory gave Chicago its third consecutive win, its longest winning streak of the season.
Chicago improved to 15-22, while Golden State fell to 25-11.
But much of the conversation afterward centered not on Taylor’s game-winner, but on another unwanted interruption from the stands.
A viral joke that has become a security problem
Throwing an unusual object onto a basketball court almost guarantees social-media attention.
That may be precisely why the stunt keeps returning.
But once the object crosses from the spectator area onto a professional playing surface, the issue changes.
Players sprint, jump and change direction at full speed. Officials move backward while watching plays develop. Courtside spectators sit only feet from the action.
An unexpected object can become a slipping hazard—or strike somebody before anyone has time to react.
That is why players and the league increasingly describe these incidents not simply as disrespectful, but as dangerous.
And after two consecutive nights of disruptions in Los Angeles and Chicago, the WNBA once again faces a question it thought it had confronted last season:
How do you stop spectators who may believe getting banned—or even arrested—is worth a few seconds of viral attention?
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