CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 22: Kennedy Burke #22 of the New York Liberty dribbles against the Chicago Sky during the second half at Wintrust Arena on May 22, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
As an epidemic of fans throwing adult objects onto the court rocks the WNBA, a second alleged prankster has been arrested.
Kaden Lopez, 18, is facing charges after allegedly chucking an object during the Phoenix Mercury’s 82-66 home win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. The object is said to have struck a man watching the game with his nine-year-old niece.
Court documents viewed by FOX 10 stated that the male victim said that he and his niece had been watching the action, “When something hit his back, then fell to the ground next to him.”
Police charged Lopez with assault, disorderly conduct and public display of explicit sexual material, according to court documents.
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The incident was captured on video, and an arena volunteer witnessed it before following Lopez, tackling him to prevent him from leaving and waiting for authorities to arrive.
Lopez’s alleged prank is thought to be the fifth instance in the last 10 days of an individual throwing an adult object at a WNBA game. The first arrest, of 23-year-old Delbert Carver, was made Saturday after he allegedly threw an adult object on July 29 during the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Golden State Valkyries.
The incident in Los Angeles on Tuesday garnered plenty of attention after the sex toy nearly struck Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, and Sparks guard Kelsey Plum quickly kicked the item off the floor.
At Barclays Center, a sex toy was thrown, but it did not reach the court, and the same happened with the incident in Phoenix.
“The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,” the WNBA said in a recent statement. “Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating arena can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.”
Lopez apologized and called the alleged incident a “stupid prank that was trending on social media.”
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