WNBA Releases Statement Announcing Fan's Arrest for Throwing Adult Object on Court

The WNBA issued a statement following multiple instances of adult objects getting thrown on courts during games this week
The WNBA issued a statement following multiple instances of adult objects getting thrown on courts during games this week / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

During the final minute of a game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries Tuesday night, a fan threw an adult item on court that caused officials to stop play after the ball went out of bounds.

A similar occurrence took place in the game between the Valkyries and the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena Friday night before a referee kicked the item away and it was removed. Following the two instances in four days, the WNBA released a statement Saturday that announced the fan who threw the object at the Dream game was arrested and provided a harsh warning should this happen a third time.

"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," the league said in a statement via a report from ESPN and the AP. "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."

ESPN and the AP's report mentioned it is not currently known whether the offending fan at the Sky game was arrested.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.