WNBA Bans, Arrests Spectator After Sex Toy Thrown During 124-88 Dream Win

Q: How did a fan in a Luka Doncic jersey bypass security to continue a strange trend of disrupting WNBA games with inappropriate items?

He appears to have bypassed security simply by carrying the item into the arena undetected, not by breaching a restricted area or getting onto the floor. Available reporting shows the spectator, described in videos as wearing a No. 77 Luka Doncic Lakers jersey, remained in the stands until he threw a green sex toy onto the court during the third quarter of the Sparks-Dream game. The object landed near the Los Angeles bench while Jihyun Park was preparing for a free throw, briefly halting play. Angel Reese quickly identified the suspected thrower from the Dream bench, pointing security toward his section. Video circulating online showed him trying to run out of the arena and pushing past at least one security guard, but arena personnel and police detained him before he could leave. What is not yet clear is exactly how the item got through screening. Neither the WNBA nor arena officials have publicly detailed any specific security lapse, such as a bag-check failure or metal-detector issue. Publicly, the known facts are that the item was brought inside, thrown from the seating area, and the suspect was quickly caught afterward. The arrest revives a pattern from last season, when similar items were thrown onto WNBA courts in several cities. In response, the league said the fan has been indefinitely banned from all WNBA, NBA, and affiliated events, and that it will keep working with law enforcement to hold offenders accountable.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 21

An individual who threw a green sex toy onto the court during Atlanta’s 124-88 win over Los Angeles was arrested and indefinitely banned from all WNBA, NBA and affiliated events.
Third-quarter play stopped as Jihyun Park prepared for a free throw; Angel Reese pointed out the spectator, security removed the object, and police detained the person after video showed an apparent attempt to flee.
The league has not identified the suspect, and it was not immediately clear whether charges were filed; the WNBA said it will work with law enforcement to hold people accountable for objects thrown onto the court.
Six games were hit by similar incidents starting in July last season, including stops in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Phoenix and Los Angeles, with two arrests later tied to a cryptocurrency-linked money scheme.