Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 11:54 AM ET

Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention.

It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.

Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it:

this did NOT age well. https://t.co/K1WGbOWEjJ
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) August 6, 2025

She also laughed it up on her Instagram story:

Sophie Cunningham on IG after getting hit by the 3rd dildo thrown in a WNBA game pic.twitter.com/pPDFZMeY73
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 6, 2025

Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior.

"It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid."

There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again.

The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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