A second fan was arrested on Wednesday and accused of throwing a sex toy at a WNBA game between the Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury the night before at PHX Arena.
The fan, who authorities identified as 18-year-old Kaden Lopez, was charged with suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.
The sex toy reportedly hit another fan in the back while he was watching the game with his 9-year-old niece.
The WNBA has seen a surge in similar incidents over the past two weeks to the dismay of players and coaches.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s dumb. It’s stupid,” Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “It’s also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things.”
Others have argued that the fan actions are more insidious — an attempt to discredit a league with surging popularity the past two seasons.
“I think you just have to continuously prioritize the players, because it’s obviously safety, but also just so immature to me, like, I just hate that that’s being attached to our brand and our name,” Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison told the New York Post. “This is like, let’s be professional here. I get the jokes, and things can be funny, but it just gets to a point.”
The WNBA has threatened to prosecute and ban any fans who throw items onto the court.
“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.
Aside from Mr. Lopez, an unidentified spectator was arrested last week after authorities said he threw a sex toy onto the court during a game between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream in Georgia.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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