In a significant development for the WNBA, an 18-year-old man’s arrest at a WNBA game after a “prank” went too far, marking a potential turning point in a recent and disturbing trend of fan heckling at WNBA games. Kaden Lopez was taken into custody at a Phoenix Mercury game on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault, and public display of explicit sexual material.
The August 5th incident, which has now led to a man’s arrest at a WNBA game, was captured on video and detailed in police reports. According to a court document cited by Fox10, the video footage shows Lopez, sitting in his seat, retrieving a “green dildo from his sweater front pocket, then throws the [sex toy] forward. He then stands up and leaves the area.” The object hit a man who was attending the game with his 9-year-old niece. The male victim, who told police that something hit his back before falling to the ground, realized the object was a dildo and “desires prosecution.” A witness who volunteers in the arena saw the incident and followed Lopez, tackled him as he tried to leave, and waited for police to arrive, resulting in the suspect’s arrest.
Lopez reportedly told authorities that it was a “stupid prank that was trending on social media” and that he had bought the sex toy the day before, specifically to take it to the game.
The incident at the Phoenix Mercury game appears to be part of a larger, unsettling trend happening across the WNBA. HotNewHipHop reports that this was the third such incident in just over a week, with the league suffering from repeated sex toy throwing pranks. Not only are these actions disrespectful to the players, but they also pose a potential risk of injury.
The League Wants The Man Arrested At A WNBA Game Prosecuted
WNBA players have been increasingly vocal about the trend. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who was one of the first to speak out, tweeted after the first occurrence on July 29, “Stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.” The incident at the Phoenix Mercury game saw the object thrown in Cunningham’s direction, though it didn’t hit her. The object was swiftly kicked off the court by Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum.
Cunningham later spoke about her feelings on her new podcast, Show Me Something. She admitted that while the pranks are “hilarious,” she fears the humiliation of a player being hit.
“First of all, the bounce that thing had, if that smacked someone in the face, that’s going to be plastered everywhere. I just know that if things go viral now… If that thing even came from the rafters or bounced and slapped me in the face, that would be what I would be known for, for life.”
Cunningham’s larger concern, however, is the impact these pranks have on the league’s reputation. “Everyone’s trying to like make sure like the W[NBA] is not a joke and it’s taken seriously—and then that happens, I’m like, how are we ever going to get taken seriously?”
Her teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, echoed a similar sentiment to The Jasmine Brand, stating, “We are the product. We like to think that we come to play the game, and people want to see us play. I think it’s just that simple, man, we can’t control everybody’s actions.” The fact that these pranks are happening at what many consider to be a family event, as one fan told Fox10, makes the behavior even more appalling. Anne Caldwell, another woman who was hit by a different sex toy at the same Phoenix Mercury game, said, “I looked down to the floor and saw a bright fluorescent ‘marital aid,’ is what they called it in the incident report.”
The WNBA and PHX Arena both want Lopez prosecuted for disorderly conduct, sending a clear message that what some consider a “stupid prank” is actually a criminal act.
Watch the full episode of Sophie Cunningham’s Show Me Something below.
