NEW YORK LOFTS — It should have been a night of celebration a WNBA game, family bonding, youthful laughter. Instead, it became a jarring moment that shifted the narrative: a sex toy hurled from the stands, striking a 12-year-old girl at the Barclays Center during a matchup between the New York Liberty and Dallas Wings. Behind that shocking incident was Charles Burgess, a 32-year-old auto body shop owner from Dayton, Ohio, arrested this week and now facing multiple assault charges. The story, disturbing as it is, reveals much deeper issues bubbling beneath the surface of women’s sports.
The Incident That Shattered an Arena’s Safe Zone
On August 5, with the arena buzzing, Burgess allegedly pulled a sex toy from his pants and lobbed it toward the court. The object went far enough to hit a child in the leg bruising her and shattering what should have been unchallenged comfort.
Almost two weeks later, he surrendered to police, pleaded not guilty, and awaits a court appearance in December. His attorney framed him as a family man, a casual fan, and someone who believed the charges blown out of proportion citing ambiguous video evidence.
Not an Isolated Joke A Pattern of Shock and Harm
This disturbingly bizarre act wasn’t unique. It followed a string of similar occurrences across the league in just days spanning WNBA games in Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Three individuals now stand arrested:
• Delbert Carver, 23, in Atlanta charged with misdemeanors including indecent exposure. Called it a “joke supposed to go viral.”
• Kaden Lopez, 18, in Phoenix arrested for a social media–inspired prank; felony charges dropped.
• Charles Burgess, now facing assault charges in New York
Even an NBA preseason game in Nashville was interrupted by a similar throw, underscoring that WNBA athletes aren’t the only targets of this reckless wave.
Leagues, Players, and Officials Respond
WNBA officials acted swiftly: anyone throwing items, especially dangerous or obscene objects, now faces at least a one-year ban from attending games. But fans, commentators, and players are demanding more than bans they want condemnation and allyship, especially from NBA figures who remain largely silent on misogynistic threats to the women’s game.
Players like Sophie Cunningham and Elizabeth Williams have called the acts disrespectful and dangerous deservedly labeling them as attacks on both safety and legitimacy
Table: The Alarming Timeline of Sex Toy Throwings at WNBA Games
Date City Description & Outcome
July 29 Atlanta First incident at an Atlanta Dream game; Delbert Carver arrested.
Aug 1 Atlanta Repeated incident with Carver; similar behavior.
Aug 1 Chicago Incident at a Chicago game.
Aug 5 Los Angeles A throw nearly struck Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
Aug 5 Phoenix Kaden Lopez, 18, arrested for allegedly inspired prank.
Aug 5 New York Sex toy thrown by Charles Burgess; hit a 12-year-old girl in the audience.
Aug 20 New York Burgess arrested and charged.
Aug 2025 Nashville Similar act occurred at an NFL preseason game.
Beneath the Laughter A Reflection of Societal Challenges
These moments aren’t fringe pranks they’re laced with misogyny, contempt, and performative cruelty. What’s cloaked as humor is, in truth, an assault on empowerment and respect. For families, players, and young fans, these games aren’t just entertainment they’re affirmations of inclusion and representation.
The coordinated nature some ties claimed with cryptocurrency meme coins points to the social media-fueled elevation of chaos for clicks. The incidents have gone viral, but not in a way that should make anyone laugh.
What Comes Next: Policy, Accountability & Allyship
This moment demands more than consequences for offenders. It requires league-wide commitment to:
• Stronger screening and prevention protocols in arenas.
• Clear condemnation from allies in elite sport from NBA voices to fans, refusing to normalize behavior that undermines female athletes.
• Protecting not only the players but also the youngest among us who come to watch, cheer, and dream.
Final Thought
What started as a bizarre headline is now a national reckoning. This wasn’t fan banter gone wrong it was a display of how ignorance, machismo, and digital trends can conspire to threaten safe spaces.
The WNBA remains a crusade of inspiration. Let’s ensure villains like Burgess don’t rewrite the narrative.
