WNBA matches interrupted by sex toys thrown onto court

Two matches in the Women's National Basketball Association were interrupted after sex toys were thrown on to the court.

The Chicago Sky's home game against Golden State Valkyries was interrupted in the third quarter on Friday when multiple sex toys were thrown from the stands.

A green sex toy landed on the court, forcing the game to be stopped while it was removed, before Chicago went on to win 73-70.

The Atlanta Dream's 124-88 victory at the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday was also stopped in the third quarter when another object was thrown on court, as Sparks guard Park Ji-hyun was preparing to take a free throw.

There were similar incidents last season between July and August when six WNBA matches in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles were interrupted.

Natasha Cloud, a guard for the Chicago Sky, said the "men" throwing the sex toys on court were "lame" and "weird".

The 34-year-old added: "It says more about the internal struggles of that individual than it ever will say about a collective group.

"The men that are throwing it, it also shows that you are weak, extremely weak. And it says a lot about how you feel about women."

According to a report in the New York Times, a "male spectator" that disrupted the game at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles was caught by arena security staff and would be given a lifetime ban from attending WNBA matches.

It is not yet clear if those responsible for the disruption in Chicago have been caught.

Last season, members of a meme-coin group claimed responsibility for the incidents.

At that time, the WNBA, which has been approached by BBC Sport for comment, said that any spectator caught throwing sex toys on to the court would be banned from the league and would face prosecution.

USA Today reported the same group responsible for last year's incidents has said it will continue to disrupt WNBA games to protest against the league's policy on transgender athletes.

There are no transgender athletes currently competing in the league, but recent comments from Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham questioning the current rules have sparked intense debate in the US.

The WNBA operates under a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), a deal negotiated between the league and its players association (WNBPA), setting rules on matters including player salary caps, revenue sharing, benefits and overall league operations.

On player eligibility, the CBA states: "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."