On July 29, with the score tied late in the fourth quarter of a WNBA game between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream, a bright green object suddenly bounced across the court. Play stopped as cameras zoomed in, revealing a police officer standing over an unlikely find: a sex toy near the sideline.
It was the first in a string of at least six similar incidents, including one in which Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham — who had recently asked fans to stop — was struck by another. The league, accustomed to fast breaks and buzzer-beaters, was suddenly contending with a wave of unwanted interruptions.
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Who’s behind the stunts?
A spokesperson using the handle @Daldo_Raine told USA Today and ESPN that a group of cryptocurrency traders and fans launched “Green Dildo Coin,” or $DILDO, in July as a satirical meme coin aimed at poking fun at what they described as the “toxic” crypto culture.
The group said it chose WNBA games because the league was already trending online, not because of opposition to women’s sports. They said participants were told to avoid harming anyone and hinted that future pranks would be “more tasteful.”
Green sex toys bearing the coin’s name have also appeared in other public spots, including on New York City’s Wall Street bull. Police have arrested at least two people, though the group says they are not connected to its effort.
How did it reach the White House?
On Thursday, Donald Trump Jr. shared a photoshopped image of President Donald Trump tossing the same green toy from the White House roof toward female basketball players. The post, which drew more than 117,000 likes, combined the ongoing WNBA prank with the president’s own rooftop appearance earlier in the week, when he paced near the edge as reporters shouted questions from the lawn.
What has been the reaction?
Trump Jr.’s post sparked both amusement and criticism. One of the top Instagram comments demanded the release of unrelated government records, while journalist Mehdi Hasan pointed to what he saw as a contradiction between Trump supporters’ rhetoric about women’s sports and the imagery in the post.
The Valkyries went on to win that July 29 game 77-75, but the sex toy saga shows no sign of ending. The meme coin group has promised more stunts are on the way.
