Chicago Sky player ejected after hard foul on Sophie Cunningham, posts on social media
Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was ejected from a recent WNBA game against Indiana Fever following a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham. The incident occurred late in the opening quarter of the game in Chicago. Carrington made contact with Cunningham across the left side of her head with an arm as the Fever guard attempted a right-handed layup.
Cunningham fell to the ground but quickly rose to confront Carrington. Teammates intervened to separate the two players. After a review, the foul was upgraded to a flagrant two, which resulted in Carrington’s automatic ejection from the match. Prior to her ejection, Carrington had scored eight points in four minutes coming off the bench.
Shortly after leaving the game, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on the social media platform Threads, tagging the Indiana Fever in her message. This post drew significant attention and was addressed by Cunningham and Sky coach Tyler Marsh after the game.
Post-Game Reactions to the Foul and Social Media Post
When asked about Carrington’s social media post after her team’s 90-86 victory, Cunningham stated, “I think the league is taking care of that. 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, when informed of the post, responded, “I have to get back to you on that because I’m just now hearing about that. So yeah, we’ll handle that.”
Cunningham also commented on the foul itself, calling it “unnecessary.” She added, “I’ve never really spoken to her and have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent-up stuff. So, get your [stuff] off. That’s fine – I can take it.”
Fever coach Stephanie White offered her perspective on the incident, saying, “It was a hard foul. 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.” White also noted that Carrington is a competitive player who ensures no one gets an easy layup.
Referee Maj Forsberg clarified that Cunningham was not penalized for her reaction to the foul because officials “deemed her reaction to the severity of the contact to be acceptable.”
Broader Context and Related Incidents
The incident involving Cunningham and Carrington has drawn additional attention due to recent discussions surrounding Cunningham. Cunningham has been a subject of controversy in recent weeks for her comments regarding transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports. These comments have led to both protests against and expressions of support for Cunningham at Fever games.
The social media post by Carrington, which mentioned “WHITE PRIVILEGE,” was seen by Cunningham, who reiterated that the league would handle it and that the foul had no racial undertones. Cunningham’s reference to “that card” was in direct response to Carrington’s post.
The foul on Cunningham was described by one initial report as “karma,” a headline that was later edited after sparking significant social media reaction. This initial report linked the incident to a hard foul Cunningham herself committed during the 2025 WNBA season against Jacy Sheldon, who then played for the Connecticut Sun and is now a member of the Sky. Cunningham was also assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from that game, acknowledging she deserved the ejection.
In other league news, Fever star Caitlin Clark will avoid a one-match suspension. A technical foul called on Clark during the third quarter of the game was rescinded after the match. This technical foul would have been her eighth of the season, which would have triggered an automatic suspension.
Source: bbc.com
