Last week, a third man was arrested for allegedly throwing a sex toy—specifically, a dildo—at the court during a WNBA game, a trend started in July that a cryptocurrency group has taken credit for, while claiming not to be associated with (all of) the people who’ve been apprehended by law enforcement. If you understood each individual word of that sentence but feel like your brain might explode when trying to figure out what it means in context, we’ve got you covered.
Wait so…what?
Let’s rewind for a second. On July 29, a man attending a WNBA game (the Atlanta Dream versus the Golden State Valkyries) threw a green dildo onto the court during the fourth quarter; play was stopped and an official kicked the object off of the court. Days later, at a game between the Valkyries and the Chicago Sun, another green dildo was thrown onto the court during the third quarter, similarly leading to a stoppage in play. On August 5, a similar sex toy was thrown at a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indian Fever, seemingly in Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s direction. At least three other incidents have been reported.
What does crypto have to do with it?
A consortium of cryptocurrency traders has taken credit for the stunts, claiming that they were planned in order to promote a memecoin called Green Dildo Coin, which was launched the same day the first dildo was thrown. A spokesman for the group, who would only reveal his social media handle, @Daldo_Raine, told USA Today the memecoin was created as a way to protest the “toxic” environment of the crypto world. He claimed there is no intent to hurt anyone and that the group is definitely not engaging in misogynistic behavior. “We didn’t do this because like we dislike women’s sports or, like, some of the narratives that are trending right now are ridiculous,” he said. “Creating disruption at games is like, it happens in every single sport, right? We’ve seen it in the NFL, we’ve seen it in hockey, you know…fans doing random things to more or less create attention.” Posts from the group’s Telegram community, reviewed by USA Today, show one user declaring, shortly before tipoff on the night of the first incident, “We will soon buy the league.”
Who has been arrested?
On August 1, Delbert Carver of Marietta, Georgia, was arrested for allegedly throwing a green dildo onto the court during the Dream game against the Phoenix Mercury; according to ESPN, police records show that “Carver was detained after trying to flee and confessed to throwing the first sex toy July 29 as well. He faces counts of disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass.” (Carver did not respond to multiple requests for comment from ESPN; @Daldo_Rain told the outlet that Carver was not the thrower of the object on July 29, but declined to say who threw it.)
On August 5, an 18 year-old named Kaden Lopez, was arrested during the Phoenix Mercury-Connecticut Sun game, with court records claiming, per ESPN, that “Lopez removed a green sex toy from his sweatshirt pocket, threw it and hit two spectators, including one minor. After the toss, he attempted to leave the building. An arena volunteer witnessed the incident, followed Lopez and tackled him.” While denying association with Carver, the memecoin group has claimed Lopez was part of their stunt; in the group’s Telegram chat, he was reportedly dubbed a “hero” and a “legend.” (Lopez has been charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor assault.)
On August 20, Charles Burgess, of Dayton, Ohio, surrendered at Brooklyn’s 78th Precinct, where he was charged with third-degree assault attempted, assault in the second and third degrees, second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree menacing, third-degree obscenity, fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon, interference with a professional sporting event and second-degree harassment. According to prosecutors, Burgess pulled a green dildo out of his pocket during an August 5 New York Liberty game and threw it towards the court, hitting a 12 year-old in the leg. Burgess’ attorney told the New York Post that his client “voluntarily surrendered,” is married with six kids, and has “absolutely no criminal record.” The attorney also claimed that “video evidence” shows that “no one was actually struck by the thrown object rendering any of the included assault charges unsustainable,” and that “Mr. Burgess intends to vigorously fight these embellished and exaggerated charges.”
Is this as misogynistic as it sounds?
Sure seems like it! While some have attempted to claim otherwise by noting similar incidents that have occurred at NFL games—for instance, Buffalo Bills fans have been known for throwing dildos on the field during games against the New England Patriots—others are not convinced. As Slate’s Christina Cauterucci notes, “football players wear helmets and padding on a field 12 times larger than a basketball court, making a flying dildo much less dangerous. And it’s foolish to pretend that the context is identical. Throwing a piece of penis-shaped, penetration-ready silicone at a woman in her workplace sends a much different message than tossing one at a man.”
What has the league said?
On August 4, the WNBA said in a statement: “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. 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.” A day later, Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynee Roberts said: “It’s ridiculous. It’s dumb. It’s stupid. It’s also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things.”
What have players had to say?
On August 1, Cunningham wrote on X: “stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.” The same day, Sky center Elizabeth Williams told reporters: “It’s super disrespectful. I don’t really get the point of it. It’s really immature. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up.” New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison wrote on X: “ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??! Please do better. It’s not funny. never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous.” Former Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi told Front Office Sports: “I would have picked that thing up and thrown it right back at them.”
