A crude stunt at a WNBA game shows how misogyny hides behind “humor” to demean and distract women at the top of their game.
We are living in strange and dangerous times. Some days I scroll through the news and wonder if I’ve accidentally clicked on a parody site. The latest headline to make me question reality: green dildos thrown on the court during WNBA games.
Yes, that happened. And no, it’s not harmless.
In an era when women’s rights are being stripped away—when reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy and basic equality are under siege—this is not the moment to shrug off “pranks” aimed squarely at women. We are already fighting to keep our resilience and focus intact. We cannot pretend that degrading women in the public eye—particularly women who have achieved power, visibility and influence—is just part of the game. It isn’t. It’s misogyny with a juvenile laugh track.
The culprits? A group of crypto traders who launched something called Green Dildo Coin (DILDO). They’ve proudly taken credit, brushing it off as nothing unusual:
“It happens in every single sport. We’ve seen it in the NFL, we’ve seen it in hockey—fans doing random things to create attention.”
Let’s be clear: This is not the same as a rogue beach ball or a fan streaking across the field. This is a targeted, gendered act designed to sexualize and humiliate women. In a culture where sexism is rising, “harmless” jokes like this help normalize it. When you throw a dildo at female athletes, you’re not creating fun. You’re reinforcing a centuries-old message: No matter how skilled, strong or accomplished women become, they can still be reduced to a sexual punchline.
And when women push back, we’re told to calm down, that we’re “overreacting.” This played out when Donald Trump Jr. posted a meme on social media of his father atop the White House throwing a green dildo at five Black and one white WNBA player. When CNN condemned it, Trump Jr. doubled down, posting:
“What is it about memes that always triggers these losers at CNN so badly???”
stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) August 2, 2025
Here’s the thing about “humor” as a shield for harassment—it’s never actually funny.
But maybe absurdity deserves an absurd answer. If this is the game they want to play, maybe the next time a green dildo lands on the court, the mascot chops it in half mid-game. Or dunks it in water, freezes it solid, and drops it in the middle of the court as a monument to insecurity on ice. Or better yet, the team collects them all and turns them into a gallery of voodoo effigies—each one stuck with a needle for every sexist comment, every cheap shot, every time women have had to smile through this kind of garbage just to keep playing. Or better yet, memes of all these suggestions—because we know memes always seem to trigger the “losers” who dish it out but can’t take it.
No matter how skilled, strong or accomplished women become, they can still be reduced to a sexual punchline.
We will keep fighting—because here’s the truth. Women have been dealing with this brand of juvenile theater from mediocre men forever. When they can’t match our talent, they reach for props. When they can’t silence us, they try to embarrass us.
But the plot twist they didn’t see coming is that we’re not humiliated—we’re fueled. Every cheap shot only makes us stronger. Every attempt to reduce us to a joke only sharpens our resolve. So keep tossing your limp props. We’ll keep breaking records, cashing checks, rewriting history and shattering the limits you set for us.
The joke’s over. We’re still here, still winning, and every woman you try to humiliate will only rise higher—together. We’re not going anywhere.
Great Job Jodi Bondi Norgaard & the Team @ Ms. Magazine Source link for sharing this story.
