NYPD Crime Stoppers
NEW YORK - The NYPD is searching for a man who threw a green sex toy during a New York Liberty-Dallas Wings game last week at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, according to officials.
What we know:
Police said that during the game on Tuesday, Aug. 5, "an unidentified individual threw an object which struck a 12-year-old female victim in the right leg." On Friday, the NYPD released a photo and a short video of a man wearing a "Beavis and Butt-Head" T-shirt and an Ohio State baseball cap; he is believed to be the suspect.
According to The New York Post, the lime-green object struck a fan in section 116.
"When it landed, the girl started screaming/freaking out (understandably) for like 30 [seconds] and got the attention of most people within the surrounding rows," a witness told the Post.
Sex toy incidents at WNBA games
The backstory:
This incident is just the latest example of someone throwing a sex toy during a WNBA game. Over the past two weeks, sex toys have landed on the courts of a Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game in College Park, Georgia, as well as at games in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago. Two men have been arrested in connection with the incidents in Phoenix and Georgia.
"The safety of everyone in our arenas remains a top priority," a WNBA spokesperson said in a statement. "We are working closely with local and federal law enforcement to pursue all appropriate actions — including arrest and prosecution with felony charges where applicable — against anyone engaged in this conduct or otherwise involved in sponsoring this reckless and unacceptable behavior."
It's still unclear what the exact motive for throwing these toys at WNBA games is, or if these incidents are related.
Cryptocurrency meme coin creators have claimed responsibility for toys being thrown at multiple games, however. Plus, a group of crypto traders and enthusiasts have even launched a Green Dildo Coin (DILDO), a meme coin they say is intended to be a joke and a protest of what they deem to be the "toxic" environment that is the crypto world.
"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," the group's spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports. "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."
The spokesperson said those who have been arrested in connection with the Phoenix and Georgia incidents are not associated with the group, however.
Players, coaches respond
What they're saying:
Still, WNBA players and coaches don't seem to be laughing.
"ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??!" New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison said on X following Friday's incident. "Please do better. It’s not funny. Never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous."
After the incident in Phoenix on July 29, Mercury star Diana Taurasi told Front Office Sports that she "would have picked up that thing and thrown it right back at them."
After the Aug. 1 incident in Chicago, Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams said that the sex toys being thrown is "super disrespectful" during a postgame press conference.
"I don’t really get the point of it. It’s really immature," she said. "Whoever is doing it needs to grow up."
After the Aug. 5 incident in Los Angeles, Sparks Coach Lynne Roberts called the action "ridiculous."
"It's dumb. It's stupid," she said. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things."
The Source: Information provided in the article above came from the NYPD, The New York Post, FOX News, the Associated Press, USA Today, X, Front Office Sports and Yahoo Sports.