Sophie Cunningham Shocked as Thrown Sex Toy Hits Her During Fever Game After Laughing Off the Possibility Days Before

It was one of the more bizarre and jarring moments of the 2025 WNBA season—Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was struck by a flying sex toy while exiting the court during a road game, just days after joking about the possibility of such an incident occurring.

The incident happened late in the third quarter of the Fever’s nationally televised game against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on August 3. As Cunningham made her way to the bench following her third personal foul, a bright pink object sailed from the crowd and struck her leg. At first, many fans watching from home thought it might’ve been a stress ball or a towel. But cameras quickly zoomed in and confirmed the item: a sex toy—specifically, a rubber dildo.

Cunningham, visibly stunned, paused, looked at the object, then back toward the stands. She didn’t overreact, but her face said it all: equal parts disbelief, frustration, and irony.

Just 48 hours earlier, Cunningham made an appearance on a Fever social media segment joking about the wildest things she’d seen thrown onto a basketball court. “I swear, one day someone’s gonna throw a sex toy at me,” she laughed. “I just hope it doesn’t hit me in the face!”

The internet wasted no time connecting the dots.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) flooded the platform with clips of both moments, splicing together her premonition and the actual moment she was hit. “Cunningham literally manifested this,” one user posted. Another wrote, “Be careful what you joke about, Sophie!”

But for the Fever, the WNBA, and Cunningham herself, the situation isn’t entirely funny.

Security at Michelob ULTRA Arena quickly removed the fan responsible for throwing the object, who has since been identified as a 29-year-old male from Henderson, Nevada. According to arena officials, the fan has been issued a lifetime ban from all Aces home games and will face possible charges for disorderly conduct and endangering a player.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert released a statement the following morning:

“Player safety is paramount to our league. The WNBA has a zero-tolerance policy regarding fan misconduct, especially behavior that crosses boundaries and targets our athletes in such a degrading manner. The league will cooperate fully with the venue and law enforcement to ensure this individual is held accountable.”

The Indiana Fever organization echoed that sentiment.

“We are appalled by the incident that occurred during our game in Las Vegas,” the Fever said in a statement. “Sophie Cunningham is a respected professional, and this kind of behavior is completely unacceptable in any sports venue. We appreciate the swift action taken by Aces and arena security.”

Cunningham, 27, later took to her own social media channels with a short but pointed message: “Didn’t think I’d have to add ‘dodging dildos’ to my job description. Do better, people. That ain’t it.”

Her teammates, including Caitlin Clark, tried to lighten the mood postgame.

“That was insane,” Clark said with a shake of her head. “Honestly, we all thought it was a prank at first. But when we saw what it really was, we were just… stunned. Sophie handled it like a pro though. She’s tough.”

WNBA players are no strangers to hostile or inappropriate fan behavior—especially in the past two years as the league’s popularity has skyrocketed. The 2025 season has seen record attendance and TV viewership thanks in large part to the rookie class headlined by Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso. But with the surge in popularity has come a wave of new fans, not all of whom respect the professionalism and dignity of the league’s athletes.

“This moment should be a wake-up call,” said former WNBA player and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike. “Yes, we’ve finally got people watching women’s basketball. But that visibility must come with a cultural shift that respects these women as athletes—not memes, not objects, not entertainment in a circus. What happened to Sophie Cunningham was shameful.”

Some players around the league took to social media in support of Cunningham, expressing both outrage and empathy. Chicago Sky’s Marina Mabrey posted, “This ain’t funny. What if that had hit her in the face? There needs to be real consequences.”

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu also chimed in: “We play hard. We play with pride. We don’t come to work expecting to get hit with literal sex toys. Stop this madness.”

As for Cunningham, she seems intent on moving past the incident without letting it define her season. Known for her gritty, no-nonsense style of play, Cunningham has become a veteran presence for a young Indiana team still finding its rhythm. She’s averaging 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game this season, often providing much-needed energy and defensive toughness off the bench.

“She’s been one of our vocal leaders,” said head coach Christie Sides. “And what I admire most is that she didn’t let that situation rattle her. She kept playing hard, kept leading. That’s Sophie.”

It remains to be seen whether the WNBA will implement additional measures to protect players on and off the court. Several arenas have already stepped up security along the baselines and sidelines, with increased bag checks and zero-tolerance policies for any thrown items, regardless of intent.

“We’re in a new era,” said Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “And with that, we’ve got to change how we protect our players. This league has grown up. We need to grow up with it. That kind of stunt isn’t just classless—it’s dangerous.”

The Fever lost the game 91–83, but the outcome felt like an afterthought in light of the incident. Cunningham, as usual, downplayed any victim narrative postgame.

“Look, it’s not the first time something’s been thrown at a player, and unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last,” she told reporters. “But let’s be clear: it’s gross. It’s immature. And it takes away from the amazing basketball being played out there. Let’s focus on that instead.”

Still, the moment is bound to live on in internet infamy—a cautionary tale about fan behavior, manifestation gone wrong, and the strange new reality of sports in the viral age.

As one Fever fan on X put it succinctly:
“Manifest greatness, not rubber toys. Protect Sophie Cunningham at all costs.”