Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese helped arena security identify a spectator who threw a large green sex toy onto the court during a Women's National Basketball Association game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night.
The incident occurred around 8:39 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles as Sparks forward Jihyun Park prepared to shoot free throws. Reese, the standout forward and former Louisiana State University national champion sitting on the Dream bench, immediately spotted the suspect trying to flee the lower seating bowl and shouted, "Right there! Get him!"
The thrown object landed directly on the floor in front of the Sparks bench before center Cameron Brink, the former Stanford star, kicked it away. An arena security guard subsequently picked up the item using a towel to clear the playing surface.
After the individual ran toward the exit, Reese turned to her teammates in shock. Lip-readers analyzing broadcast footage of the bench reaction reported that Reese appeared to say, "That b***h was like seven inches!"
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department Central Division responded to the arena, located on the 1000 block of South Figueroa Street, after venue security personnel detained the suspect.
"On August 20, 2026, around 8:39 p.m., LAPD officers from Central Division responded to the 1000 block of S. Figueroa Street [Crypto.com Arena] to meet with security personnel who had detained a trespass suspect," the LAPD said in a statement provided to the Daily Mail.
"The suspect, a male in his mid-20s, trespassed at the location and threw an item onto the court," officials added. "Officers made contact with the suspect, who was issued a citation and released from custody (RFC)."
Police noted that because the encounter resulted in a citation and release, no additional suspect details were available for public release. A video circulating on social media showed the unidentified man sprinting past arena seats in an effort to evade security before officers apprehended him. The disruption forced a temporary pause in the game between Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Pattern of Disruptions Across the WNBA
Thursday's event recalled a series of similar disruptions that plagued the WNBA during the previous season, when sex toys were repeatedly thrown onto basketball courts as projectiles. Several of the prior incidents appeared linked to online campaigns promoting a meme cryptocurrency, though law enforcement officials have not stated whether Thursday's disruption was tied to a similar promotional effort.
During the 2025 season, thrown objects posed physical hazards to players on the floor, including Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who was directly struck by a projectile during a game. The incidents led league venues to increase security protocols, resulting in lifetime arena bans and multiple criminal arrests.
Exactly one year prior to Thursday's incident, on August 21, 2025, 32-year-old Ohio resident Charles Burgess was arrested after throwing a sex toy during a New York Liberty game that struck a 12-year-old girl in the stands.
Earlier that month, 18-year-old Kaden Lopez was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, assault, and public display of explicit sexual material after throwing a sex toy onto the court during a contest between the Connecticut Sun and the Phoenix Mercury. In another case from the 2025 season, 23-year-old Delbert Carver was arrested after throwing sex toys onto the floor during two separate WNBA games.
League Figures Speak Out Against Harassment
The wave of object-throwing incidents drew strong condemnation from players and head coaches across the North American professional league, including Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who spoke out forcefully against the behavior.
"I just want to comment on... this has been going on for centuries," Reeve said in comments addressing the disruptions. "The sexualization of women, this is the latest version of that. It's not funny."
"It should not be a butt of jokes on any radio show, or in print, or in any comments," Reeve added. "The sexualization of women is what's used to hold women down and this is no different. This is just the latest story, and we should write about it in that way. These people that are doing this should be held accountable. We're not the butt of the joke. They're the problem, and we need to take action."
