Things got tense on the court between the Fever and Sky on Saturday.
And one player was shown an early exit.
The Sky’s DiJonai Carrington was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game during the first quarter after a hard foul against the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham.
Cunningham attempted a layup with around two minutes left in the quarter, and as she went up, Carrington whacked her from behind up high and hit the Fever guard in the face.
Cunningham fell to the floor and then got up, and, incensed by the foul, she started to shove Carrington before she was separated by her Fever teammates.
Referees reviewed the shooting foul and determined, after looking at a replay, that Carrington committed a flagrant 2, meaning they felt the foul was “unnecessary” and “excessive.”
Carrington stood on the Chicago bench with her mouth open in what appeared to be disbelief.
Cunningham was shown on the broadcast clapping her hands as her opponent was removed from the ballgame.
Cunningham has generated plenty of headlines in recent weeks over her comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” Cunningham told ESPN in a lengthy interview at the end of July.
In recent days, Cunningham told reporters she preferred if the media focused more on the on-the-court issues than what she said off it.
“So, it is what it is. And like I said, we’re in the middle of the season,” she said this week. “I’m gonna keep at that. We talk about a bunch of distraction; our team is good, my teammates are good, our locker room is great. And so, now we’re just here, about to prepare for Las Vegas. And that’s where my mind is at.”
Cunningham has had her supporters, including former collegiate swimmer and current activist Riley Gaines, but has faced some pushback, including from ex-United States women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
“I don’t know Sophie, so I can only project what I see about her beliefs based on her actions,” Rapinoe said on her “Why Are You Like This” podcast. “And seeing a picture of her with Riley Gaines after the game told me everything I need to know about what’s happening.”
On an Instagram post of the episode, Carrington commented: “Clock it, Megan.”
