CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky was ejected Saturday after being called for a Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever. Minutes later, Carrington the words 鈥淲HITE PRIVILEGE鈥� and tagged the Fever.
Cunningham, who is white, was shooting a fast-break layup in the first quarter when Carrington, who is Black, in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in.
Cunningham said she thought the foul was 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� intentional.
鈥淐learly I think it was unnecessary,鈥� Cunningham said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never really spoken to her and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent up stuff.鈥�
Fever coach Stephanie White had a different view of the play.
鈥淚t was a hard foul,鈥� White said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 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.鈥�
Cunningham got up immediately, charged toward Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.
鈥淚 popped up,鈥� Cunningham said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that鈥檚 why she did it because she wants attention.鈥�
The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he hadn’t seen a replay of the play, but that seeing it live, he thought Carrington was making a play on the ball and that he didn’t believe it warranted a Flagrant 2 foul.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 looked at that play since, so I really don鈥檛 know if it was justified or not,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut, that鈥檚 what I thought in the moment.鈥�
Marsh was then asked about Carrington’s social media post.
鈥淚 have to get back to you on that because I鈥檓 just now hearing about that,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o yeah, we鈥檒l handle that.鈥�
But Cunningham had plenty to say about the post.
鈥淚 think the league is taking care of that,鈥� 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鈥檚 no reason even to play that card.鈥�
In the third quarter, Fever star 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 The technical was Clark’s eighth of the season, triggering a one-game suspension for Indiana’s next game if not rescinded by the league.
鈥淪he said I ran into her,鈥� Clark said in a postgame television interview. 鈥淚鈥檝e already watched it on the tape, so we鈥檒l let the league decide. But it wasn鈥檛 intentional or anything, so I鈥檓 hoping it鈥檚 getting rescinded,鈥�
A few hours after the game Clark got her way. The WNBA rescinded the technical foul.
Cunningham has frequently come to Clark’s defense after physical play by opponents and has become one of the higher-profile players in the league this season. In an ESPN article published last month, she voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls鈥� and women鈥檚 sports, which led to small protests and rallies outside Fever games in Seattle and Portland.
on Friday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would have ongoing discussions about the issue of transgender participation in women’s basketball.
Marsh said that the controversy surrounding Cunningham didn’t add anything extra to the game.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 come into this one with any more or less juice than we鈥檝e had in the last four since the All-Star break,” he said. “Our mindset is trying to win games.鈥�
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