The WNBA’s silence regarding DiJonai Carrington, who declared “White privilege” after her ejection during Saturday’s game against the Indiana Fever after smacking Sophie Cunningham in the face, meant she could play Monday night for the Chicago Sky against the Seattle Storm.
With the league not announcing any discipline for the veteran guard after her Flagrant 2 foul against the Fever over the weekend, Carrington checked into the game with 5:21 left in the first quarter.
There was a loud cheer coming from the Storm crowd, but it’s unknown if it was because Carrington was checking into the game, or if they were cheering on rookie center Awa Fam entering for Seattle.
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With around two minutes left in the first quarter of Saturday’s 90-86 win for the Fever, Cunningham had a breakaway toward the hoop with Carrington trying to track her down to avoid an easy two points for Indiana.
Carrington’s hustle led to a meeting at the rim, but instead of swatting the ball, she hit Cunningham hard in the face, sending her to the floor as officials quickly blew the whistle.
Cunningham was livid, getting up from the hardwood and confronting Carrington face-to-face. As she was being held back by teammates, she shoved Carrington slightly before officials stepped in as well.
After official review, Carrington’s foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2, and she was ejected from the game.
Shortly after, and presumably from the locker room, Carrington posted on her Threads account, “WHITE PRIVILEGE,” while tagging the Fever team account. She didn’t initially elaborate on why she posted that, leaving it unclear whether she was referring to Cunningham, the official’s decision to deem the foul a Flagrant 2, or the Fever organization. Carrington didn’t accuse Cunningham by name, and there was no evidence that the foul was connected to Cunningham’s position on transgender athletes in women’s sports, which has been a hot-button WNBA topic in recent weeks.
On Monday, though, Carrington replied on X to a segment by ex-NFL player and sports personality Emmanuel Acho, who criticized the Sky player for calling the foul “White privilege.”
“I’ve never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption). Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych,” Carrington’s reply read on X. “Furthermore, I’m the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on “white privilege,” do ya research on that one. I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject. I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it.”
Cunningham has been at the center of a widening political debate about biological men in women’s sports, as supporters of her stance held a fourth rally outside the Fever road game at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, while counter-protesters also gathered near the venue.
Cunningham has stated she does not harbor any hatred toward transgender people, but she believes protecting girls and women in sports is “common sense.” She has received backlash for her belief, and the debate has spilled inside and outside of WNBA venues, while discourse continues online.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time Carrington has been at the center of controversy involving Fever players. During the 2024 campaign, where she was playing with the Connecticut Sun, Carrington mocked then-rookie Caitlin Clark for what she believed was flopping and later called Fever supporters “the nastiest fans in the W” after receiving racist abuse from online users.
Then, Carrington struck Clark in the eye while defending a pass during the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, leading to the latter having a black eye. Both players said that the contact was accidental, though Carrington drew some renewed criticism after she appeared to joke about the controversy during an Instagram Live video.
Carrington has also previously defended her style of play, which has been deemed dirty by some. She said she plays aggressively, but is always attempting to make a play on the ball.
Beyond basketball, she has drawn attention for wearing an explicit anti-President Donald Trump sweatshirt and urging WNBA players to oppose Trump administration policies affecting women and the LGBTQ community.
Carrington is in her sixth WNBA season, her first with the Sky, where she is averaging 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds across her five games in a depth role for Chicago.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and Matthew Reigle contributed to this report.
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