WNBA media wasted no time jumping to DiJonai Carrington’s defense after her dangerous hit on Sophie Cunningham earned her a Flagrant 2 and an early shower Saturday.
Carrington got the boot after catching Cunningham above the neck as the Fever guard went airborne for a transition layup.
But instead of taking her lumps, Carrington retreated to the locker room and immediately pulled out her phone, posting “WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever” on Threads.
Just like that, Carrington turned punishment for her own reckless play into an accusation about race. If anything, that response warranted even greater scrutiny. Instead, WNBA media circled the wagons around Carrington, downplaying the hit.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) questions a referees call during a game against the Golden State Valkyries on July 15, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky was ejected after a brutal foul on Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)
ESPN quickly joined the defense when analyst Andraya Carter rationalized the hit as little more than a product of Carrington’s aggressive style of play.
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“These are plays we’ve seen from DiJonai, right? So getting in the right position, jumping over the top, getting these transition blocks,” Carter explained.
“She’s always gonna make that effort. So even for some of these, she’s behind the offensive player coming over the top. So again, she was behind Sophie Cunningham. She wasn’t able to get over the top. Had she got over the top and made that play, we wouldn’t have been talking about it. She was too far behind the play. The contact above the head was too much. But that’s what DiJonai Carrington does. Like, this wasn’t, to me, because it was Sophie Cunningham making the layup.”
Carter’s own analysis undermined the defense she was making.
She acknowledged that Carrington was behind the play and that the contact above the head was “too much,” only to excuse it with a familiar refrain: “that’s what DiJonai Carrington does.”
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It’s clear that Sophie Cunningham is in the WNBA’s crosshairs for speaking out against male athletes competing in women’s sports and refusing to toe the league’s preferred line.
Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever talks with head coach Stephanie White during the first half against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on July 27, 2025, in Chicago, Ill. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
That stance has created an environment where she carries a target on her back, leaving players like Carrington to expect their aggression toward her to be rationalized after the fact.
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The response to Saturday’s incident exposes a persistent imbalance within WNBA coverage.
When physical aggression is directed at White players such as Cunningham or Caitlin Clark, commentators have repeatedly shown a willingness to search for explanations that soften the actions of the offending player.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham fights with Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington after being Carrington fouled Cunningham with a hit to the Fever guard’s head. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
DiJonai Carrington No. 7 of the Chicago Sky reacts against the Indiana Fever during the first half at United Center in Chicago on Aug. 8, 2026. (Getty Images)
The disparity becomes even harder to ignore when the circumstances are reversed.
Imagine a white player drilling a Black opponent above the neck, getting tossed and then immediately posting a racial accusation aimed at the opposing team.
Saturday was not Carrington’s first go at controversy. During the 2024 postseason, Carrington struck Clark directly in the eye, leaving the league’s signature star with a visible black eye, then mocked the ensuing public outrage online.
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Less than two years later, another dangerous play involving Carrington has produced another controversy, followed by another effort to shift the conversation away from her own responsibility.
The facts from Saturday are straightforward. Carrington delivered a dangerous hit that officials deemed serious enough to warrant a Flagrant 2 and an ejection, then responded by invoking race.
Rather than scrutinize both actions, prominent voices within WNBA media devoted their energy to explaining her conduct.
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Player safety cannot depend on who delivers the hit, just as media scrutiny should not depend on the racial identities of the players involved.
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