During Saturday’s 90-86 loss to the Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky wing DiJonai Carrington enjoyed an explosive start at Wintrust Arena. Coming off the bench, she hit her first three shots, which included a successful three-pointer and a converted and-one opportunity.
However, her fiery home-court opening took a negative turn late in the first period when she fouled Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on a fast break. As Cunningham attempted a layup, Carrington struck her across the face.
The basket was ruled good, and Cunningham knocked down an extra free throw after officials reviewed the play and elevated Carrington’s infraction to a flagrant 2.
In an instant, Carrington’s encouraging eight-point performance was cut short, lasting under four minutes on the court with roughly two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Virtually straight away during the contest, she posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on her social media account, tagging the Fever on the Threads platform.
Cunningham, who has recently been at the heart of WNBA discussions due to her public remarks regarding transgender athletes in women’s sports, was furious following the contact. The moment she stood back up, she confronted Carrington directly. A quick round of pushing occurred alongside an angry verbal altercation. Cunningham required restraint, initially from Indiana forward Makayla Timpson and subsequently from Fever coaching staff. Meanwhile, head coach Stephanie White stepped out onto the hardwood.
Carrington appeared stunned by her ejection for the flagrant 2, a penalty handed out due to the nature of her windup, the force of the hit, her follow-through, and the elevated risk of physical harm given Cunningham’s exposed position.
The Fever stand as one of the WNBA’s most famous yet polarizing franchises, drawing intense scrutiny lately following statements Cunningham shared in an ESPN feature regarding transgender participation in sports.
Protests have taken place outside arenas where the Fever play on the road, notably in Seattle. There, Storm minority shareholder Celeste Keaton received a fine and a five-game home suspension from the league after she confronted a pair of young female demonstrators holding signs near the court supporting Cunningham and opposing transgender athletes in women’s sports.
The Fever organization has kept its distance from these demonstrations, issuing statements that emphasize inclusivity. Although Cunningham at first stood firmly by her remarks, she shifted her message this week, stating that she hopes everyone can refocus on playing basketball.
Whether Carrington’s online commentary was directly tied to the ongoing discourse about Cunningham remains uncertain at this time.
The Fever’s triumph, marking their initial win in a month that opened with consecutive defeats, was driven by their guard tandem. Outstanding MVP hopefuls Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark contributed 27 and 26 points, respectively.
Boasting the fourth-best standing in the WNBA, the Fever climbed to a 20-12 record, while the struggling Sky, well out of postseason contention, fell to 12-20.
Cunningham asserts flagrant 2 ejection was ‘completely unrelated to race’
After the game, Cunningham expressed her belief that league officials are looking into Carrington’s online message. According to ESPN’s Kareem Copeland, she emphasized that the flagrant 2 decision against Carrington was in no way a racial issue.
“During the previous season, I committed a similar act and was ejected from the game. And that ejection was totally deserved,” she stated, as reported by Copeland, referring to the incident where she defended Clark by delivering a flagrant 2 hit to Jacy Sheldon (then with the Connecticut Sun) last June, sparking a viral scuffle.
Copeland noted that Cunningham commented on Carrington’s upload, saying, “There is absolutely no call to bring that element into this.”
Cunningham, who was limited to just three points during the game, labeled the entire altercation as pointless, according to Copeland.
“I have never actually conversed with her and hold no grudge, but perhaps she is harboring some unresolved feelings,” Cunningham remarked concerning Carrington, who is playing her debut year in Chicago after previously playing for the Sun, Wings, and Lynx.
“So say whatever you need to say. I don’t mind, I can handle it,” Cunningham remarked, according to Copeland.
Cunningham informed members of the media that she viewed the physical contact as deliberate.
“It feels like when opponents face the Fever, because of the national broadcasts and high viewership, certain players are just looking for the spotlight,” Cunningham expressed, via Copeland. “In this case, she is simply seeking some notice.”
On the other hand, Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh asserted after the matchup that he did not believe there was any malicious intent behind the foul.
“Not at all,” he replied when questioned about any heightened feelings entering Saturday’s matchup. “We are in a fierce battle to secure a postseason spot. DiJonai plays with a lot of heart, which is true for the majority of the roster.
“Of course, player safety is always the priority, but regarding this specific match, we didn’t enter the arena with any more or less energy than we brought to our previous four contests following the All-Star break. As players and coaches, our primary goal is simply to secure victories. That was our focus tonight, and it will remain our objective in the future.”
He further commented: “You definitely want to ensure Sophie is unharmed and that no one gets badly hurt. Even so, I am confident there was no bad intent on our side.”
Marsh pointed out that, during the live action, he believed Carrington was attempting to block the shot and did not think the infraction deserved a flagrant 2 designation.
“Since I didn’t catch the video replay right when it took place, those were my first impressions,” he remarked. “I have not reviewed the footage since, so I can’t confirm if the ruling was correct, but that was my live reaction.”
Nonetheless, the official postgame pool report quoted referee chief Maj Forsberg, who explained that Carrington’s contact was classified as unnecessary and extreme against an opponent who was in an unprotected state.
Marsh, currently navigating his sophomore season guiding the Sky, admitted after the game that he was completely unaware of Carrington’s online statements.
“I will have to follow up on that later since I am only just learning of it, but we will address it internally,” Marsh stated when questioned by a journalist regarding the Threads upload.
Prior to Marsh’s media session, Chicago guards Rachel Banham and Sheldon took questions from reporters. They were asked whether the recent news surrounding Cunningham had been a topic of conversation in their locker room before the game.
“Our entire focus was strictly on the game of basketball,” stated Banham, who co-led her squad with 17 points by hitting 6 of 11 shot attempts, including three makes from beyond the arc. “Honestly, we approach every match with an identical mentality. We study the scouting game plan, focus on executing our plays, and strive to play solid basketball to get a win. That was our sole concentration. No other topics were brought up.”
Cunningham insisted that she did not let Carrington’s forceful foul anger her.
“I just got right back up,” she noted, according to Copeland. “I refuse to let anyone treat me that way, and I think that’s common knowledge. In my opinion, that’s exactly why she chose to do it—she is looking for the spotlight. It’s crazy how desperate some have become for notoriety lately.
“Honestly, find some other way to seek it. Go out and make a positive impact on the world instead.”
