Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud has spoken out after the return of a trend that involves sex toys being thrown on to the court during WNBA games.
Arena staff removed the objects from the court during the Sky’s win over the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night. Players stayed on court during the incident. A suspect was detained during a similar incident on Thursday during the Atlanta Dream’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
“That hate is unwarranted ... and it says more about the internal struggles of that individual than it ever will say about the collective group [they have a problem with],” Cloud said. “And the men that are throwing it, it shows that you are weak. Like, extremely weak. And it says a lot about how you feel about women.”
Several young men were arrested last season for throwing sex toys at WNBA games in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. One said the act was “supposed to be a joke” and he wanted the incident “to go viral”. A group of cryptocurrency investors and traders that said it was behind the trend last year has claimed responsibility again.
This time, the group told USA Today that it is protesting against the WNBA’s policy on transgender players. There has never been a transgender woman – a person assigned male at birth who transitions to align with their gender identity – on a WNBA roster. However, the league has become embroiled in a debate about whether transgender women should be allowed to take part in women’s sports. The issue exploded after the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham said she supported banning transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports.
Last season, the WNBA said any spectators throwing objects on to the court face at least a one-year ban and prosecution from law enforcement.
