Sky’s Carrington Ejected for Foul on Cunningham, Posts ‘White Privilege’
Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was ejected from Saturday’s WNBA game against the Indiana Fever after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for striking Fever guard Sophie Cunningham in the head and neck area during a first-quarter fast-break layup attempt. Minutes after her ejection, Carrington posted the words “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on her Threads social media account and tagged the Fever, sparking widespread controversy across the sports world.
The Incident
With approximately two minutes left in the first quarter, Cunningham was shooting a fast-break layup when Carrington came from behind and struck her in the head and neck area, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 foul after officials determined there was windup, impact, and follow-through on the foul.
Cunningham immediately got up, charged toward Carrington, and pushed her before being held back by a teammate. She called the foul “absolutely” intentional and said it was “unnecessary.”
“Clearly I think it was unnecessary,” Cunningham said. “I’ve never really spoken to her and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent up stuff.”
Fever coach Stephanie White offered a more measured assessment of the play. “It was a hard foul,” White said. “I don’t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did, but it did happen, and I thought it was the right call.”
Cunningham was not assessed a technical foul for shoving Carrington because officials “deemed her reaction to the severity of the contact to be acceptable,” per a pool report distributed after the game.
The Social Media Post
Shortly after heading to the locker room, a post appeared on Carrington’s Threads account tagging the Fever with the phrase “WHITE PRIVILEGE.” The post was later deleted, and Carrington posted the date of the next Sky-Fever matchup (Aug. 23).
Cunningham dismissed the framing. “I think the league is taking care of that,” she said. “This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason even to play that card.”
Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he was just hearing about the post. “I have to get back to you on that because I’m just now hearing about that,” he said. “So yeah, we’ll handle that.”
Game Result and Clark’s Technical
The Indiana Fever won 90-86. Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points to set a WNBA single-season record with her 16th straight game of 20-plus points, and Caitlin Clark had 26 points and 11 assists, according to the game recap.
In the third quarter, Clark was assessed a technical foul after making contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds. It was her eighth technical of the season, which would have triggered a one-game suspension. The WNBA rescinded the technical a few hours after the game.
The Broader Context
The incident unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing controversy surrounding Cunningham, who has become a central figure in the WNBA’s debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports. In an ESPN article published in July, she voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. Her comments have sparked small, organized rallies both supporting and opposing her at Fever road games in Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis.
On Saturday, dueling protests were held outside the United Center before the game — one group supporting Cunningham’s stance and counterprotesters supporting transgender athletes.
The WNBA has been navigating the issue at the league level. In a memo to teams on Friday, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would have ongoing discussions about transgender participation in women’s basketball. The WNBA Players Association released a statement emphasizing diversity and inclusion while saying the group “will not be used as political pawns.”
Carrington’s History with the Fever
Carrington has a contentious history with the Indiana Fever and its players. During the 2024 season, she mocked Caitlin Clark for what she believed was flopping and called Indiana supporters “the nastiest fans in the W” after receiving racist abuse from some online users. She also struck Clark in the eye while defending a pass during the 2024 playoffs, leaving Clark with a black eye.
Carrington, a six-year WNBA veteran in her first season with the Sky, had 8 points on 3-of-3 shooting in four minutes off the bench before being ejected, as Newsweek reported.
What’s Next
The incident adds another layer to what has already been a season of controversy for the Fever, who continue to thrive on the court despite constant off-court distractions. The Sky and Fever are scheduled to meet again on Aug. 23, a date Carrington highlighted in her social media activity after deleting the original post.
Whether the WNBA takes disciplinary action beyond the ejection remains to be seen, and the league’s ongoing conversations about transgender athlete participation are expected to continue in the weeks ahead.