Carrington ejected for Flagrant 2 on Sophie Cunningham, posts 'WHITE PRIVILEGE' on social media

DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky was ejected in a WNBA game against the Indiana Fever on Saturday after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham, league officials said. Minutes after the ejection Carrington posted the words "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on social media and tagged the Fever.

The incident occurred in the first quarter when Cunningham, who is white, was attempting a fast-break layup and Carrington, who is Black, came from behind and struck her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. Cunningham rose immediately, charged toward Carrington and pushed her before being held back by a teammate. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was "windup, impact and follow-through" on the foul.

Cunningham has frequently come to Caitlin Clark’s defense after physical play by opponents and has become one of the higher-profile players in the league this season, the club noted. The social-media post by Carrington followed the on-court confrontation and was visible minutes after the ejection.

In the third quarter the Fever’s Caitlin Clark was assessed a technical foul after she made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds. The technical was Clark’s eighth of the season and, under league rules, triggers a one-game suspension for Indiana’s next game.

An ESPN article published last month quoted Cunningham voicing support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports, a stance that led to small protests and rallies outside Fever games in Seattle and Portland. In a memo to teams on Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would have ongoing discussions about the issue of transgender participation in women’s basketball.

As a result of the eighth technical, Clark will serve a one-game suspension for Indiana’s next game.